Techniques for automatically provisioning a database over a wide area network

ABSTRACT

Techniques for provisioning databases for users on a wide area network such as the Internet include a first party managing one or more database systems. Second parties subscribe to database services supported by the database systems managed by the first party. The first party provides, over a network, to database applications controlled by the second parties, access to the database services to which the second parties are subscribed. The database systems may use database appliances hosting both database process(es), and non-database process(es) tailored to the needs of the database process(es). A user is therefore able to obtain database resources from an Internet Database Service Provider (IDSP) without the user incurring the full costs of database administrator(s), dedicated database equipment facilit(ies), or even dedicated database device(s), depending on usage. Meanwhile, the IDSP incurs minimum staffing loads because of various self-service tools Costing model and automatic billing features are also described.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. §120 as a Continuationof U.S. application Ser. No. 09/872,235, Attorney Docket Number50277-1511, filed May 31, 2001, which in turn claims priority to U.S.provisional application Ser. No. 60/231,482, Attorney Docket Number50277-1558, filed Sep. 8, 2000 entitled “Automatic Web Sites WithDatabases” by Dean Tan, Jean-Louis Baffier, Marc Dangeard, ThierryGruet, Olaf Ziegler, Peter Renner, John-Brown Evans, Christina DeMello,Niloy Banerjee, John John E. So, Michael Rocha, Yuanjiang Ou, SivakumarThivakaram, Darryl Presley, Venkat Malla, Pascal Sero, and Kevin Walsh.The entire contents of both applications are hereby incorporated byreference, for all purposes, as if set forth in their entirety. Theapplicant(s) hereby rescind any disclaimer of claim scope in the parentapplication(s) or the prosecution history thereof and advise the USPTOthat the claims in this application may be broader than any claim in theparent application.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/240,229, Attorney Docket Number 50277-0284, filed Jan. 29, 1999entitled “Pre-Defined Hardware And Software Bundle Ready For DatabaseApplications,” the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated byreference, for all purposes, as if set forth in its entirety.

This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/873,061, entitled “Techniques For Automatically Developing A WebSite,” filed May 31, 2001, invented by Dean Tan, Pascal Sero, and KevinWalsh.

This application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 7,536,686, entitled“Techniques For Automatically Installing And Configuring DatabaseApplications,” filed May 31, 2001, invented by Dean Tan, Marc Dangeard,Pascal Sero, and Kevin Walsh.

This application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 6,795,830, entitled“Techniques For Providing Off-Host Storage For A Database Application,”filed May 31, 2001, invented by Niloy Banerjee, John John E. So, andMichael Rocha.

This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/872,932, entitled “Techniques For Automatically Discovering ADatabase Device On A Network,” filed May 31, 2001, invented by YuanjiangOu, Sivakumar Thivakaram, Darryl Presley and Venkat Malla.

This application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 6,993,657, entitled“Techniques For Managing Database Systems with a Community Server,”filed May 31, 2001, invented by Peter Renner, John-Brown Evans,Christina Demello, Pascal Sero, and Kevin Walsh.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to accessing databases over a wide areanetwork such as the Internet, and, in particular, to providingself-service database services to subscribers over the Internet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many enterprises expect to use the Internet to reach far-flung agentsand customers. The Internet is a public network of computer networks,each with one or more nodes. The Internet uses open, standard protocolsfor addressing nodes and passing information from one node to another. Auser accesses the Internet by logging onto one of the computers on thenetwork, often owned and operated by an Internet Service Provider (ISP).Typically a user establishes a severable link between the user's owncomputer and the ISP computer. A client application program (a client)running on the user's computer interacts with a server applicationprogram (a server) running on one of the nodes on the Internet.

The World Wide Web (the Web) is a collection of resources available overthe Internet that are provided by various servers and that can beaccessed by a particular client called a Web browser using a hyper-texttransfer protocol (HTTP). Using a Web browser, a user can select aresource on the Web, identified by its Universal Resource Locator (URL)name, and have that resource presented to the user. The resource usuallyincludes textual information and often includes graphical, video andaudio elements.

For electronic commerce using the Web, the resource provided by theserver must include a mechanism for accepting user information. Forexample, many Web resources include forms for accepting product orders.The browser and resource must also provide for secure informationtransfer between client and server. For example, secure transfers areneeded to receive user credit card information or to send user accountinformation. Effective transactions may also require the resource toprovide access to a database. For example, a database enables the serverto track inventory of products available for purchase, or to find theaccount information requested by the client.

One or more programmers are required to produce a resource thatinteracts with a user's browser to (1) present information, (2) receiveinput, (3) make secure transactions, and (4) access a database. Thepresentation of textual, graphical and audio information requires aprogrammer skilled in the use of a markup language such as theHyper-Text Markup Language (HTML) or the more flexible Extensible MarkupLanguage (XML). To receive user input in response to the presentedinformation requires a programmer able to create scripts of proceduresaccessed via Common Gateway Interface (CGI), or applications written ina language like JAVA that can be launched from a user's Web browser. Toinclude information in the resource that is retrieved from a database,either initially or in response to the user input, requires a databaseprogrammer as well.

Thus an enterprise that expects to generate a presence on the Internetis faced with the need to assemble a team of expert programmers toimplement the design for the enterprise's web site.

Even formulating the design for the series of Web pages that the userwill encounter at the enterprise's site requires experience in the typeof transactions the web site will perform. For example, a retailer mustprovide for a shopping cart or analogous component to store informationabout the items and quantities being purchased. A retailer must alsoprovide for charging to a user's credit card, often by communicatingwith a third party, or must provide some analogous payment mechanism.These interactions must be designed in a sequence that does notunnecessarily burden or confuse the purchaser. A public serviceorganization must help the user find the information or service soughtas efficiently as possible. A sales department must be able to identifyits salespersons and provide information tailored to the privileges ofthe employee accessing the web site.

While a large enterprise has the finances to assemble a team having therequisite expertise, most enterprises are too small to assemble andsupport such a team. These small to medium sized enterprises need a wayto generate an effective presence on the Internet complete with databasecomponents without incurring the costs of a team of programmers andexperts.

In the context of database components, the complexity of the generalpurpose database system combined with the complexity of the generalpurpose operating system with which the database system interacts on ageneral purpose computer is typically sufficient to require employmentof a full-time database administrator (DBA). It is the responsibility ofthe DBA to grapple with the complexity of the database system, theoperating system, and the interactions between them, so that the otherdatabase users can take advantage of the database system without beingexposed to underlying complexity. Unfortunately, employing a full-timeDBA makes ownership of a useful database system an expensive option thatmay be outside the means of the small to medium sized enterprise.

Maintaining an in house computer system to host the database and website is also an expensive undertaking even when the enterprise canafford a DBA or small team of information services (IS) professionals.Most computer equipment requires special air-conditioning and powersupplies that are expensive to construct in a facility. The equipmentitself is expensive and prone to become obsolete as new hardware devicesare developed. Even if the equipment is leased, the facility costsremain, and the transfer to upgraded equipment may put a database out ofservice and consume considerable amounts of skilled IS labor.

Based on the foregoing, it is clearly desirable to provide techniques toreduce the cost of maintaining the hardware and software of the databasesystem and the Internet presence. It is further desirable to decreasethe complexity of computer systems, and to provide management techniquesthat allow companies to reduce the size and cost of their in-house ISdepartments.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Techniques are provided to reduce the costs associated with establishingand maintaining one or more databases by having database servicesprovided by another party, which makes the database services availableover a network, such as the Internet.

Cost reductions are achieved by minimizing the costly computerprogramming and information services expertise required by the small tomedium sized enterprise by moving those services to a services provider,which can share certain costs among several enterprises. The disclosedtechniques also include embodiments that recursively apply thiscost-reduction model. For example, some embodiments allow an enterpriseto go to an Internet Database Service Provider (IDSP) to obtain databaseservices over the Internet. Simultaneously, these embodiments allowseveral IDSPs to maintain the specialized database applications forserving their customers from a common database application developerthrough a Community Server.

With techniques of the present invention, a user is able to obtainneeded database resources from an Internet Database Service Provider(IDSP) with a minimum of user effort and without the user incurring thefull costs of one or more database administrators, or the costs of adedicated database equipment facility, or even the costs of a dedicateddatabase device, depending on usage. At the same time, the IDSP canreadily provide for several database users with minimum staffing needsbecause of self-service tools in a self-service process. Furthermore,the IDSP start-up and maintenance efforts are reduced through severaltools already in a platform-owner database provisioning process. In someembodiments, these tools include a costing model and automatic billing.

According to one aspect of the present invention, techniques forprovisioning databases for users on a wide area network include a firstparty managing one or more database systems. Multiple second partiessubscribe to database services supported by the database systems managedby the first party. The first party provides, over a network, todatabase applications controlled by the second parties, access to thedatabase services to which the second parties are subscribed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by wayof limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in whichlike reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a computer system upon which an embodimentof the disclosed techniques may be implemented.

FIG. 2A is a block diagram of a database appliance for a database serverupon which an embodiment of the disclosed techniques may be implemented.

FIG. 2B is a block diagram of database appliance using an off-hostdatabase storage appliance according to one embodiment of the disclosedtechniques.

FIG. 2C is a flowchart depicting some management tasks performed by adatabase server using off-host storage according to one embodiment ofthe disclosed techniques.

FIG. 3A is a block diagram of an Internet database service provideraccording to one embodiment of the disclosed techniques.

FIG. 3B is a block diagram of a community center server connected to theInternet according to one embodiment of the disclosed techniques.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the processes available on a platform of anInternet database service provider showing database tools for the ownerof the platform and self-service database tools for customers of theowner, according to one embodiment of the disclosed techniques.

FIG. 5A is a flowchart depicting self-registration by a customeraccording to one embodiment of the disclosed techniques.

FIG. 5B is a diagram of components on a screen presented to a customerfor receiving customer profile input during the self-registrationprocess according to one embodiment of the disclosed techniques.

FIG. 5C is a diagram of components on a screen presented to a customerfor receiving customer input concerning database service subscriptionsduring the self-registration process, according to one embodiment of thedisclosed techniques.

FIG. 5D is a flowchart showing steps in a process for registrationself-maintenance according to an embodiment of the disclosed techniques.

FIG. 6A is a block diagram of a database web site building applianceaccording to an embodiment of the disclosed techniques.

FIG. 6B is a flowchart of a database web site building wizard accordingto an embodiment of the disclosed techniques.

FIG. 6C is a flowchart of a customization process for a provider of thedatabase web site building wizard according to an embodiment of thedisclosed techniques.

FIG. 6D is a block diagram illustrating an arrangement of input elementson a web page for customizing a web site component by a user of thewizard according to an embodiment.

FIG. 6E is a block diagram illustrating an arrangement of folders andcomponents on a web page for designing a web site by a user of thewizard according to an embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for automatically installing and configuring adatabase application according to an embodiment of the disclosedtechniques.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart for automatically supplying content for a databaseon a database services provider according to an embodiment of thedisclosed techniques.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart for developing new database applications on adatabase services provider according to an embodiment of the disclosedtechniques.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart for accessing a database on a database servicesprovider according to an embodiment of the disclosed techniques.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart for integrating external services on a databaseservices provider according to an embodiment of the disclosedtechniques.

FIG. 12A is a block diagram of a process for automatic discovery andmanagement of a new database appliance connected to a network accordingto an embodiment of the disclosed techniques.

FIG. 12B is a flowchart of a process for automatic discovery andmanagement of a new database appliance connected to a network accordingto an embodiment of the disclosed techniques.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram of database services for a platform owneravailable to the database services provider according to an embodimentof the disclosed techniques.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram of the backend database services for aplatform owner available to the database services provider according toan embodiment of the disclosed techniques.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Techniques for Internet database services are described. In thefollowing description, for the purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, toone skilled in the art that the present invention may be practicedwithout these specific details. In other instances, well-knownstructures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoidunnecessarily obscuring the present invention.

1.0 Functional Overview

A system is provided that incorporates numerous features that reduce thetotal cost of generating and maintaining an Internet presence withdatabase components. The system preferably includes one or more“database appliances”. A database appliance is a machine that includesdatabase software, such as database server software, and non-databasesoftware, where the non-database software is specially tailored to theneeds of the database software. Such non-database software may include,for example, operating system software from which have been removedservices that are typically used in general purpose computers but arenot required to support the needs of the database server. According toone embodiment, even the hardware of the machine deviates from ageneral-purpose computer in order to more efficiently support specificcharacteristics and requirements of the database server. Databaseappliances are described in the related application U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/240,229, filed Jan. 29, 1999 entitled“Pre-Defined Hardware And Software Bundle Ready For DatabaseApplications,” incorporated by reference earlier in this application.

The features include integrated tools for forming a database for a firstparty on the equipment of a second party, and for designing andautomatically implementing a web site with components from the database.Maintenance costs are reduced by sharing equipment and IS personnelcosts among several customers of the second party.

The maintenance costs of the database system are further reduced byhaving a community server deliver applications to database appliancesand manage the database appliances of numerous companies, includingnumerous second parties. The community server provides access to thedatabase appliances over the Internet and backup for restoration ofdatabase appliances that have gone down, while simultaneously avoidingthe need for those companies to each employ their own expert databaseadministrator.

2.0 Hardware Overview

FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates a computer system 100 uponwhich an embodiment of the invention may be implemented. Computer system100 includes a bus 102 or other communication mechanism forcommunicating information, and a processor 104 coupled with bus 102 forprocessing information. Computer system 100 also includes a main memory106, such as a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storagedevice, coupled to bus 102 for storing information and instructions tobe executed by processor 104. Main memory 106 also may be used forstoring temporary variables or other intermediate information duringexecution of instructions to be executed by processor 104. Computersystem 100 further includes a read only memory (ROM) 108 or other staticstorage device coupled to bus 102 for storing static information andinstructions for processor 104. A storage device 110, such as a magneticdisk or optical disk, is provided and coupled to bus 102 for storinginformation and instructions.

Computer system 100 may be coupled via bus 102 to a display 112, such asa cathode ray tube (CRT), for displaying information to a computer user.An input device 114, including alphanumeric and other keys, is coupledto bus 102 for communicating information and command selections toprocessor 104. Another type of user input device is cursor control 116,such as a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys for communicatingdirection information and command selections to processor 104 and forcontrolling cursor movement on display 112. This input device typicallyhas two degrees of freedom in two axes, a first axis (e.g., x) and asecond axis (e.g., y), that allows the device to specify positions in aplane.

The invention is related to the use of computer system 100 forautomatically provisioning a database accessible from a Web browser.According to one embodiment of the invention, a Web page with databasecomponents is provided by computer system 100 in response to processor104 executing one or more sequences of one or more instructionscontained in main memory 106. Such instructions may be read into mainmemory 106 from another computer-readable medium, such as storage device110. Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in main memory106 causes processor 104 to perform the process steps described herein.In alternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place ofor in combination with software instructions to implement the invention.Thus, embodiments of the invention are not limited to any specificcombination of hardware circuitry and software.

The term “computer-readable medium” as used herein refers to any mediumthat participates in providing instructions to processor 104 forexecution. Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limitedto, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media.Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical or magnetic disks,such as storage device 110. Volatile media includes dynamic memory, suchas main memory 106. Transmission media includes coaxial cables, copperwire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise bus 102.Transmission media can also take the form of acoustic or light waves,such as those generated during radio-wave and infra-red datacommunications.

Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppydisk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other magneticmedium, a CD-ROM, any other optical medium, punchcards, papertape, anyother physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM,a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave asdescribed hereinafter, or any other medium from which a computer canread.

Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying oneor more sequences of one or more instructions to processor 104 forexecution. For example, the instructions may initially be carried on amagnetic disk of a remote computer. The remote computer can load theinstructions into its dynamic memory and send the instructions over atelephone line using a modem. A modem local to computer system 100 canreceive the data on the telephone line and use an infra-red transmitterto convert the data to an infra-red signal. An infra-red detector canreceive the data carried in the infra-red signal and appropriatecircuitry can place the data on bus 102. Bus 102 carries the data tomain memory 106, from which processor 104 retrieves and executes theinstructions. The instructions received by main memory 106 mayoptionally be stored on storage device 110 either before or afterexecution by processor 104.

Computer system 100 also includes a communication interface 118 coupledto bus 102. Communication interface 118 provides a two-way datacommunication coupling to a network link 120 that is connected to alocal network 122. For example, communication interface 118 may be anintegrated services digital network (ISDN) card or a modem to provide adata communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line.As another example, communication interface 118 may be a local areanetwork (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to acompatible LAN. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any suchimplementation, communication interface 118 sends and receiveselectrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital datastreams representing various types of information.

Network link 120 typically provides data communication through one ormore networks to other data devices. For example, network link 120 mayprovide a connection through local network 122 to a host computer 124 orto data equipment operated by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) 126.ISP 126 in turn provides data communication services through the worldwide packet data communication network now commonly referred to as the“Internet” 128. Local network 122 and Internet 128 both use electrical,electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams. Thesignals through the various networks and the signals on network link 120and through communication interface 118, which carry the digital data toand from computer system 100, are exemplary forms of carrier wavestransporting the information.

Computer system 100 can send messages and receive data, includingprogram code, through the network(s), network link 120 and communicationinterface 118. In the Internet example, a server 130 might transmit arequested code for an application program through Internet 128, ISP 126,local network 122 and communication interface 118. In accordance withthe invention, one such downloaded application is a database applicationas described herein.

The received code may be executed by processor 104 as it is received,and/or stored in storage device 110, or other non-volatile storage forlater execution. In this manner, computer system 100 may obtainapplication code in the form of a carrier wave.

3.0 Example System

According to one embodiment, techniques are provided that allow a partyto serve the role of an “Internet Database Service Provider” or IDSP.Like an ISP, the IDSP is a second party service provider which maintainsthe equipment necessary for a subscriber to use the Internet. Unlike theconventional ISP, the IDSP provides the subscriber with databaseservices that are accessible over a network to which the subscriber hasaccess. In certain embodiments, the database services may be part of alarger package that provides the subscriber with an Internet presencethat includes automatically generated database components. The IDSPitself may be supported by a third party, such as a database softwaredeveloper, operating a database community server on the Internet.

The IDSP includes an IDSP platform (item 332 in FIG. 3A) and a pluralityof database appliances (item 336 in FIG. 3A). FIG. 2A depicts a databaseappliance as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/240,229,referenced above. In that application a database appliance includes adatabase server process 212, an operating system 214 tailored to supportthe database server process 212, and hardware 216. The server software,operating system software, database configuration parameters, and thedatabase files themselves are stored on nonvolatile mass storage devices218.

As used herein, the term database appliance includes any database devicewith a special purpose operating system tailored to the database processrunning on the device, including the database server appliance 220 andthe database storage appliance 230 described next. The main distinctionamong database appliances is the function provided by the databaseprocess running on the appliance. Other examples of database appliancesinclude an internet appliance which supports a connection with theInternet, a database Web server appliance (for example, an ORACLE 8iappliance) which provides access to a database system through a user'sWeb browser, and a database web site building appliance which provides awizard for building a series of Web pages with database components andis described in greater detail later below.

3.1 Off-Host Storage

FIG. 2B shows a database network including two new database appliances.Database storage appliance 230 does not include a database serverprocess, but instead has a file system process 234 operating on hardware236 and mass storage devices 238. This allows the database storageappliance 230 to comprise high-performance external storage systemsavailable from a number of vendors.

In general, database storage appliance 230 is a computing deviceincluding a mass storage device, and a processor configured to run afile system server process and a special purpose operating system whosefeatures and configuration are dictated by the mass storage device, thefile system server and supporting components.

A database storage appliance 230 is one component of a system ofdatabase appliances including a database server appliance 220. Databaseserver appliance 220 includes a database server 222 and aspecial-purpose operating system 224 but only sufficient non-volatilestorage 228 to use for the server software and operating system andconfiguration parameters. The database server appliance 220 does notstore the data files themselves. The single database storage appliance230 stores the data files for one or more database server appliances220. The network may also include one or more other database appliances240 configured like database appliance 210 in FIG. 2A, as described inthe related application. In this case, the database storage appliance230 stores the data files for the other database appliances 240 as well.In other embodiments multiple storage appliances provide storage for adatabase managed by a single server.

The database server on a database host performs database managementtasks for a database. The management tasks now include determiningwhether the system is configured for off-host storage. If it isdetermined that the system is configured for off host storage, then thedata files are stored on the off-host storage device. If a databasealready exists on the database host when it is determined that thesystem is configured for off-host storage, then the extant database ismigrated to the off-host storage device. This process is described inmore detail with respect to FIG. 2C.

Management tasks performed by the database server appliance in thisembodiment start at step 260 when the database server commencesoperation (e.g., boots up). In step 262, it is determined whetherconfiguration files maintained for the database server, either at theserver or at a separate database directory services device, such as adatabase directory services appliance, indicate that database filesreside on off-host storage devices. A set of off-host storage devicetypes is maintained by the configuration files. For example an off-hoststorage device that connects to the database host through a host busadapter (HBA) is model X of Company A, and an off-host storage devicethat connects to the database host through a network, called networkattached storage (NAS,) is model Y of Company B. If any HBA or NASdevices, such as model X and model Y, are found in the databasedirectory, then off-host storage is already being used, and the systemis configured for off-host storage.

If off-host storage is already used, as determined in step 262, thencontrol passes to step 282 to determine if any off-host storage deviceshave joined the system that are not already in the database directories.In one embodiment, HBA based storage uses a fiber optic channelconnected to the host via a SCSI connection. Such a device responds toan inquiry command. Thus an inquiry command is issued to determine whatHBA based storage devices are connected. In this embodiment, NAS devicesuse Ethernet connections and respond to a ping command. The devices thatrespond to the inquiry and ping commands are compared to the devicesalready listed in the configuration files to determine whether any ofthe devices are new to the system. Step 284 represents a branch pointbased on whether any new off-host storage devices are detected.

If no new off-host storage devices are detected, control passes to step288 to continue using the off-host storage devices already listed in theconfiguration files. If a new off-host storage device is detected, thencontrol passes to step 286 to scale up the database using the additionaloff-host storage devices. The database can be scaled up by increasingthe total size of the database, such as by adding additional files, orincreasing the allotment to each file.

If, in step 262, it is determined that no off-host storage devices arealready being used, then control passes to step 264 to determine whetherany off-host storage devices are connected. The HBA devices are foundusing the inquiry command and the NAS devices are found using a ping.Step 266 represents the branch point based on detecting any off-hoststorage devices. If no off-host storage device is found, then controlpasses to step 268 to continue using internal storage on the host, suchas the database server appliance. If even one off-host storage device isfound, then control passes to step 270. In another embodiment, the spaceavailable on the newly found off-host storage devices is also checkedduring step 266. If the off-host storage devices do not have sufficientspace to store the database files, then the system is considered notproperly configured for off-host storage, and flow passes to step 268 tocontinue using internal storage.

In step 270 it is determined whether the database server is running forthe first time for this database, e.g., whether this is the firstboot-up of this database server. If so, then the database is beingcreated and control passes to step 274 to create the database and storethe database files initially on the one or more connected off-hoststorage devices. If not, then a database already exists on internalstorage. In this case, control passes to step 272 to migrate the extantdatabase to off-host storage from internal storage.

In step 272 the file systems on the off-host storage devices are mountedand the database files are copied to them—keeping the distribution offiles across several disks on each device identical to the distributionacross disks on the internal storage, if possible. If not possible,after copying is complete, the data files are modified, such as bymoving some contents to new data files, to bring them into agreementwith the distribution across disks. After the copying, directoryservices files are modified to indicate the off-host storage devicesinvolved. If any of these migration functions fail, such as due to alack of space, or due to communication failure, any changes are reversed(un-done) and the database server continues to use the internal storage.

In other embodiments, the steps can be performed in a differentsequence. For example, the test for off-host storage devices connectedto the host (steps 264 and 282) can be combined and performed first,before checking the configuration files in step 262. If no off-hoststorage devices are found, control passes to step 268 to use internalstorage. If off-host storage devices are found, then it is determinedwhether any appear in the configuration files for the database in step262. If none, control passes to step 270. If some are found, thencontrol passes to step 284 to determine if any are new.

With off-host storage, database server processes are insulated from thestorage system. This increases the reliability of the database on thenetwork and allows sharing of the high-performance storage system on thedatabase storage appliance 230 among multiple database server appliances220 and other database appliances 240. This can save costs inestablishing a database on a network because the database serverappliance 220 may be less-expensive than a database appliance 240 thatrequires extra non-volatile storage to hold the data files themselves.

3.2 The IDSP System Components

FIG. 3A shows the environment and components of an Internet DatabaseService Provider (IDSP). In the embodiment depicted, a service provider302 is connected directly to local network 312 a, and to the Internet320. Through the Internet 320, one or more other local networks 312 bmay be connected to the service provider 302. As used herein, a localnetwork 312 includes one or more workstations or user platforms.

Service provider 302 may be characterized as an IDSP if it allows thirdparties to use and access, over a network such as the Internet, one ormore databases that it controls and manages. An IDSP system 330 that maybe used by service provider 302 to provide the database services shallbe described in greater detail hereafter.

Service provider 302 may additionally be characterized as an Internetservice provider (ISP) if it provides third parties with access to theInternet 320. For example, local network 312 a may be owned by a thirdparty that accesses the Internet 320 through service provider 302. Whenserving as an ISP, the third party that owns local network 312 aconnects to the service provider 302 network of components through arouter 304. This connection may either be direct, as shown, or throughone or more modems and a firewall (not shown). A firewall is a devicethat enforces a login procedure to ensure that a caller is authorized toaccess a network.

The service provider 302 may also be characterized as an applicationservice provider (ASP) if it allows third parties to use and access,over a network such as the Internet, one or more software applications.Such applications may include, for example, inventory, accounting orbilling applications. When the service provider serves as an ASP, thethird party that owns local network 312 b connects to the serviceprovider 302 through the Internet 320.

The service provider 302 may support a public web site, which requires aplatform 308 a outside the firewall 306 and accessible via the Internet320. The service provider 302 may also support one or more applicationson private platform 308 b, inside the firewall 306, not directlyaccessible via the Internet 320. To access the private platform 308 bvia the Internet, a user must engage a login procedure to pass throughthe firewall 306. A login procedure may be performed through a publicWeb page, e.g., Web page 340, that will allow the user to pass throughthe firewall 306. In other embodiments, the firewall 306 may be absentand either the entire system is open to the public or individualprocesses running on the various platforms 308 and 332 may enforce theirown login procedures.

To support database procedures at the service provider 302, an Internetdatabase service provider (IDSP) system 330 is incorporated at theservice provider site 302. The IDSP system 330 includes an IDSP platform332, an IDSP console 334, and one or more database devices. Databasedevices are any devices used to manage access to a database. Thedatabases devices used by service provider 302 may include, for example,one or more database appliances 336 and/or one or more general-purposecomputers 338 executing a database server program.

The IDSP platform 332 performs as a database device manager. It performsmany database device management functions automatically. When action bythe service provider 302 is required, an agent of the service provider302, such as a database administrator employed by the service provider,may operate the IDSP system 330 through the IDSP console 334. The IDSPconsole runs a process, such as the ORACLE Enterprise Manager (OEM), forallowing a human database administrator to interact with the IDSPplatform and its processes. Alternatively, the process running on theconsole can be as simple as a Web browser with most of the screenspresented to the administrator being generated on the IDSP platform.

The IDSP system 330 provides database functionality for the serviceprovider 302, and allows the service provider 302 to offer databasefunctionality to customers such as the parties that own local networks312. The IDSP system 330 is designed to automatically provide greaterdatabase functionality than is currently available at service providerson the Internet.

In the illustrated embodiment, the IDSP system 330 has one group ofdatabase appliances, e.g., 336 a through 336 d, configured as a stagingarea for testing new database applications and upgrades. The IDSP system330 has a second group of database appliances, e.g., 336 e through 336h, configured as a production area for providing database operations tothe service provider 302 and its customers. Staging and production areaswill be described in more detail below.

In cases where the service provider 302 is offering databasefunctionality to its customers, a registration process, described later,will identify the database resources the customer is willing to pay theservice provider to procure. As used herein, database resources includeconsumable database resources such as storage space, central processingunit (CPU) usage, connection bandwidth, number of users licensed for adatabase application, and number of transactions.

Database resources also include database applications, such as databasedevelopment applications, sales database applications, invoice databaseapplications, inventory database application, personnel databaseapplications, document database applications, and many other softwareapplications with database elements available from a variety of vendors.

To provide the consumable resources requested by the customers, theservice provider 302 procures and installs database equipment, thusavoiding the need for the service provider's customers to buy andinstall the equipment. To provide the applications, the service providerprocures and installs software, or contracts for downloading software asneeded from one or more software vendors, thus avoiding the need for theservice provider's customers to procure and install the software.

Depending on the consumable database resources for which customers haveregistered, the IDSP system 330 will configure a database device aseither a dedicated device or a plurality of virtual devices. If thecustomer requires all the consumable resources provided by a databasedevice, that device will be configured as a dedicated device for thatcustomer. If, however, a customer requires only a portion of theconsumable resources available on a database device, then that devicecan be shared among several customers. In this case, the IDSP system 330will configure a virtual database device for that customer thatcomprises only a portion of the consumable resources available on thedatabase device.

The connection between the local network 312 and the service provider302, can be configured as an open Internet connection or as a virtualprivate network (VPN). A VPN uses Internet packets in which the payloadis encrypted according to a procedure known only to the service providerand the particular local network requiring the private connection. TheIDSP system 330 is configured to communicate with customers over eitheropen Internet or VPN connections, at the option of the service provider302.

According to one of the related applications cited above, databaseappliances are easily used in a network on which one or more generalpurpose computers can host certain shared processes, specifically adirectory server process, a backup server process, and an integratedmanagement console process. Alternatively, appliances can be obtainedthat perform each of these functions. In the embodiment depicted in FIG.3A, the IDSP console 334 performs the presentation and input functionsof the integrated management console for the database appliances 336connected to the IDSP platform 332. At the console the databaseadministrator for the platform owner can perform several functionsincluding starting and shutting down a database, setting up automatedtasks such as backups and reports, recognizing automatically when newappliances are added or removed, performing manual backups, runningreports, applying patches, and monitoring the system.

In this embodiment, the backup server process, the directory serverprocess and portions of the management services other than the userinterface run on the IDSP platform.

3.3 A System of IDSPs

The same database device management software installed on the IDSPplatform 332, and the software on the database devices connected to it,can be used by many service providers. As with any software, thedatabase device management software for the IDSP system will undergoincremental upgrades and replacements, denoted by different versionnumbers. FIG. 3B depicts a system for using the Internet to providedatabase software updates and other database services to one or moreservice providers.

According to the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3B, two ISPs 352 a and 352b and an ASP 354 incorporate IDSP systems 342 a, 342 b, and 344,respectively. In addition, FIG. 3B illustrates an IDSP 362 that providesdatabase services (without also providing ASP or ISP services) and anASP 360 that subscribes to IDSP 362 for the database services requiredto support the application services provided by ASP 360. All of theservice providers are connected to the Internet 320.

3.4 Community Server

A community center server 390, also called a community server, is alsoconnected to the Internet 320 in order to distribute to the serviceproviders database software and database software updates over theInternet 320. An update services process 393 runs on the communityserver 390 to send the updated software to a service provider. Theupdate operation can be automatically triggered by an event (such as theposting of the new update), performed on a pre-defined schedule, and/ortriggered by a request from the service providers.

In addition, the community server 390 provides the directory servicesrequired for managing a network of database appliances in a directoryservices process 391. In another embodiment, the community server 390provides the backup services required for a network of databaseappliances in a backup services process (not shown). In addition, thecommunity server 390 provides some management services 395 for thedatabase networks on one or more of the service providers.

For example, using the management services process 395 on the communityserver 390, a database administrator for ASP 354, who happens to be awayfrom the service provider's facility, can connect to the communityserver 390 from a computer 358 through the Internet 320 and perform somemanagement functions. The database administrator, using computer 358,connects to the management services 395 on the community server 390 tocheck on the status of database appliances in IDSP 344, or configuresthem as virtual appliances, or to perform any number of databasemanagement tasks. Such powerful database administrative functions arepreferably performed by requiring a login process between the user oncomputer 358 and the management services process 395, such as byestablishing a VPN connection. A VPN connection can be establishedbetween the computer 358 and the community server 390 even if a VPNconnection is not available with ASP 354. In this case, one or more ofthe management functions involves the database administrator sending tothe community server data indicating authorized users and privilegedrequests related to the database being administered, including adding anauthorized user and deleting an authorized user for the database, andchanging database resources a user may access.

Other management functions include licensing software from the communityserver and changing license terms for using software licensed throughthe community server.

In another example, a customer of ASP 354 who has a database running inIDSP system 344 may obtain status information, such as a percentage ofstorage space being utilized by the customer's database, from themanagement services 395 on the community server 390 over the Internet.By using the community server 390, the customer can obtain thisinformation from computer 358 even if the ASP 354 or its IDSP system 344is off-line for any reason. The ASP 354 or IDSP system 344 may beoff-line due to maintenance, equipment failure, or other failure.

Also shown in FIG. 3B is a local network 356 having its own databaseappliances 346. The community server 390 can provide the databaseappliances management required by the database appliances 346, such asdirectory services 391 and backup services (not shown). In addition, thecommunity server 390 can update the software used by the local network356 on the database appliances 346. Thus, the community server 390 cansupport one or more local networks managing their own databaseappliances even without a third-party services provider.

4.0 IDSP Processes Overview

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the processes available on a platform of anInternet database service provider showing database tools for the ownerof the platform and self-service database tools for customers of theowner, according to one embodiment of the disclosed techniques.

The IDSP platform 332 includes an IDSP provisioning process 480 thatmakes available several tools for the platform owner (the IDSP). TheIDSP platform 332 also includes a self-service database provisioningprocess 410 that makes available several tools for the customers of theIDSP. Examples of tools that may be made available by these processes tothe IDSP and to the customers of the IDSP shall be described in greaterdetail hereafter.

The customer of an IDSP may be any entity that requires databaseservices but does not want to expend the time and resources to managetheir own database system. For example, ASP 360 may provide over theInternet 320 a service, such as accounting, that requires the storage ofdata in a database. Rather than maintain its own database for itsaccounting application, ASP 360 can acquire database services over theInternet 320 from IDSP 362. In addition to ASPs, the customers of anIDSP may include companies that are running database applications fortheir own use (as opposed to ASPs that run applications for the use ofother parties). A party using, for its own internal applications, thedatabase services provided by IDSP 362 is represented by computer 358 inFIG. 3B.

According to one embodiment, not all the steps of each process areperformed on the IDSP platform 332. Many steps of these processes, forexample, are performed on one or more database appliances and otherdatabase devices connected to the platform. However, all these processesare at least launched from the processes running on the IDSP platform.

4.1 Self-Service Database Tools

The self-service database provisioning process 410 provides services tocustomers. As mentioned above, those customers may be any entities thatrequire a database but that do not want the hassle and expense ofmaintaining the database themselves. Thus, a single IDSP may providedatabase services to multiple ASPs, ISPs, and to companies that requiredatabases for their own internal applications (e.g. the inventoryprogram of a warehouse company).

According to one embodiment, the customers use a client, such as a Webbrowser on a workstation in a local network, to obtain selectabledatabase services from the service provider over a network. According toone embodiment, the services provided by process 410 are made availableto customers by allowing the customers to access Web pages that havecontrols which, when selected, cause process 410 to perform or initiatea corresponding service.

According to one embodiment, the self-service process allows a customerto select a variety of services, including customer initial registration415 and registration self-maintenance 417. Also included is access to abuild wizard 420 for generating a web site of one or more web pages. Theself-service process 410 allows a customer to obtain databaseapplications using an automatic installation configuration process 430.A customer can also obtain content for a database created for thecustomer from a source of content using the database content supplyprocess 440 of the self-service tools 410. The customer can develop anew database application using the database application development tool450 of the self-service provisioning process 410.

The database access process 460 allows the customer to perform ordinarydatabase functions for databases on the devices controlled by the IDSPplatform 332 through the self-service provisioning process 410. Thedatabase to which the customer obtains access may be a databasebelonging to the customer or may be a database to which the customer hassubscribed and which belongs to or is maintained by another party.

The integrated external services process 470 of the self-servicedatabase tools 410 provides a means for the customer to obtain servicesfrom processes outside the IDSP system 330, such as a credit cardpayment service. Each of these processes of the self-service databaseprovisioning process 410 is described in more detail later below.

4.2 IDSP Management Tools

The IDSP provisioning process 480 provides database management tools foruse by the IDSP. According to one embodiment, the process 480 includes aprocess 485 for the automatic discovery and registration of a newdatabase appliance connected to the network of database devices in theIDSP system 330. The process 490 represents other IDSP management tools.Each of these processes is described in more detail in a later section.As with the tools selectable through the self-service process 410, someof the steps in these selectable processes may be performed on devicesother than the IDSP platform. However, in one embodiment the IDSPplatform 332 runs the platform-owner process 480 which at least launchesthe selected process.

5.0 Self-Service Registration 5.1 Self-Service Initial Registration

FIG. 5A is a flowchart depicting self-registration by a customeraccording to one embodiment of the disclosed techniques. In thisembodiment, the customer registers with the IDSP system online. Theregistration is consistent with any registration for other servicesprovided by the service provider, so that the customer does not have toregister several times to access various services. In case the servicesprovider does not have any registration module, the IDSP registrationprocess will handle the registration. The customer is prompted toprovide personal and billing information and select the services thatthe customer wishes to subscribe to, as described in more detail below.In case the services provider already has a registration service, theIDSP system employs an application program interface (API) so that theexisting system can be used. This API transfers to the IDSP system alist of services that the customer has subscribed to, as well as theusername and password that have been assigned to the customer.

At the conclusion of the registration process, the IDSP systemautomatically creates an account for the customer and allocates thestorage space and other consumable resources for which the customer hasregistered, configures the database devices as necessary, and providesdata for a costing model described in more detail in a later section.Once the customer has registered, the customer can obtain access to theregistered services through a personal Web page presented to thecustomer's client process by the IDSP system.

In FIG. 5A, a customer of the service provider connects to a home pagefor the service provider. In step 510 the home page is presented to thecustomer with a selectable item, such as an icon, a button, or a menuitem, for indicating that the customer wants to obtain database servicesfrom the service provider. If the customer selects the selectable item,then control passes to step 520 in which the customer is presented witha self registration page to obtain any information not already obtainedfrom the service provider registration process. This registration pageincludes input items, such as forms and data entry fields, in which thecustomer may enter required profile information, required databaseresources information, and selectable data resources information.

After the customer has input information into the input items and chosento submit the information to the registration process, a customer'sinputs are validated in step 530. This validation may be performed onthe IDSP platform itself, or may be performed on the customer's clientprocess using routines downloaded to the customer's client process in amanner known in the art, such as with a Common Gateway Interface (CGI)script or a JAVA applet. The validation includes checks on the customerinputs, such as ensuring that every required field is filled. In step535 the result of the validation is checked. If validation failed,control returns to step 520. If the customer inputs were found to bevalid, control passes to step 540.

In step 540, the confirmation page is presented to the customer with aninput item requesting payment information. The presentation provides aninput item for payment by credit card and an input item for payment bypurchase order. In step 545 it is determined whether payment is bycredit card. If so, control passes to step 560 where a credit cardpayment server is contacted to validate that the credit card informationprovided in step 540 is correct, and the credit card accounts canaccommodate the costs of the subscribed database resources. In step 565,it is determined whether the credit card payment server validated thecredit card information. If so, control passes to step 570.

In step 570, the IDSP system configures the database devices to allocatethe database resources, such as storage space, for which the customersubscribed. The IDSP system then sends a confirmation e-mail to thecustomer with a validation code, such as a password, and an address of aWeb page for subsequently logging onto the IDSP system. The Web pageaddress can be expressed in any way known in the art, such as with aUniversal Resource Locator (URL) name. In step 575, the customer's homepage is presented to the customer.

If, in step 545, payment is determined to be by purchase order, or instep 565, the credit card information was found to be invalid, controlpasses to step 550. In step 550, a human sales representative of theservice provider contacts the customer. Procedures to use the purchaseorder or resolve the credit card problem are negotiated by the serviceprovider sales representative and the customer. When these issues areresolved, then the service provider's sales representative returnscontrol to step 570. The registration process is automatic and requiresno human interaction except for step 550. Thus, if the customer providesvalid credit card information, the entire self-registration process isaccomplished without intervention by personnel of the service provider.This reduces the cost to the service provider of registering customersfor the database services.

FIG. 5B is a diagram of components on a screen presented to a customerfor receiving customer profile input during the self-registrationprocess according to one embodiment of the disclosed techniques. Thiscustomer profile screen 522 includes a list of labels 523 indicatinginformation to be input by the customer using the screen. Adjacent toeach label 523 is input area 524 where a customer may enter alphabeticalor numeric characters that represent the requested information. Thisscreen can be customized by the service provider, for example, with alogo 525 of the service provider. Customization of presentations usedthroughout the self-service database provisioning process can beperformed as a database service selectable by the database administratorwhile operating the IDSP provisioning process, described later. When thecustomer is finished putting the information requested into the customerprofile screen 522, the customer activates the submit button 521. Thisscreen 522 is an example of forms that can be presented on a customer'splatform by a client process, such as a browser executing a CGI scriptor JAVA applet.

FIG. 5C is a diagram of components on a screen presented to a customerfor receiving customer input concerning database service subscriptionsduring the self-registration process, according to one embodiment of thedisclosed techniques. FIG. 5C shows a database services subscriptionsscreen 526 on which a customer indicates the database resources forwhich the customer wishes to subscribe. This screen includes a list oflabels 527 indicating information the customer may input. Not all theinformation requested on this page is required. Required information isindicated separately in any way known in the art, such as byhighlighting an area 531 of the screen 526. Some of the informationrequested on this screen relates to consumable database resources, forexample, the information indicated by labels 527 a through 527 d. Otherof the information requested on this screen 526 relates to databaseservices to which the customer can subscribe, for example, theinformation indicated by labels 527 e through 527 k.

For consumable database resources the customer may enter an amount and apercentage in numeric input fields 528. The amount entered in the firstcolumn of numeric input fields 528 indicates a maximum value for theparticular consumable database resource for which the customer issubscribing. The number entered in a field in the second column, underthe words “alert at” must be less than 100. This number indicates apercentage of the maximum amount that is used as a threshold. When usageof the particular consumable database resource exceeds the threshold,then an alert is sent to the customer. If the customer does not enter avalue for its threshold percentage, then the IDSP system will use adefault threshold percentage, such as 75 percent (%). For example, witha 75% system default threshold percentage, a customer who has subscribedfor 200 megabytes (MB) of storage will be alerted when the customer'sdatabases consume more than 150 MB of storage. The alert is presented onthe customer's database home page and a separate alert is sent in anelectronic mail message to the mail address in the customer's profile.In another embodiment, the customer's pager is used to carry the alert.

For database services, the customer enters input using input items 529.These input items may be pull-down menus or may be buttons that launchdialog boxes to obtain further information from the customer. If all thedatabase services available for subscription from the IDSP system cannotbe listed on a single screen 526, then the additional database servicescan be listed in following screens. When the customer is finished withthe screen and wishes to move to the next screen, the customer pressesthe continue button 534. If the screen 526 is the last screen or theonly screen, when the customer is finished, the customer presses asubmit button 534 in lieu of the continue button. Both buttons arerepresented in FIG. 5C by button 534.

The database services indicated by labels 527 e through 527 k, andfollowing screens if necessary, are placed on the database servicessubscriptions screen 526 by the IDSP system based on the servicesinstalled by the database administrator, or other agent of the serviceprovider. Installing a service here means installing the variousapplications directly on the IDSP platform or a database deviceconnected to the IDSP platform, or installing the interfaces supportingthe services.

The price a customer will pay for the database resources to which thecustomer has subscribed, will vary according to a costing model. Thedatabase services subscriptions screen 526 presents the customer with aselectable item, such as the “calculate price” button 533, fordetermining what the price will be. The computed price is displayed inarea 532 of the database services screen 526 marked by the label 527 l.

5.2 Self-Service Maintenance of Registration

FIG. 5D is a flowchart showing steps in a process for registrationself-maintenance according to an embodiment of the disclosed techniques.Starting at the customer's home page in step 575, the customer ispresented with indications of system status of the database resources towhich the customer has subscribed, i.e., the subscribed databaseresources. The customer is also presented with any alerts correspondingto the subscribed database resources. The customer is also presentedwith one or more selectable actions, for example, in a list ofselectable actions.

Among the selectable actions is an item representing updating thecustomer's profile information. If this item is selected, control passesto step 580 in which the customer is prompted to provide edits that areused to update the customer's profile information. After the profile isupdated, control passes back to step 575 to present the customer's homepage.

Also among the selectable actions is an item representing updating thesubscribed database resources. If this item is selected, control passesto step 590, which presents to the customer the database resources towhich the customer has subscribed, including the maximum amount andthreshold percentage for one or more consumable database resources. Instep 592, the system receives changes to the subscribed resources fromthe customer. In response to these changes, the system updates theconfiguration allocating database resources to the customer. Ifnecessary, the configuration of database devices, as virtual ordedicated and as a staging device or production device, are changed aswell. While or after the subscribed resources are changed and thedatabase devices are reconfigured, control returns to step 575 topresent the customer's home page to the customer.

6.0 Web Site Building Wizard

According to one embodiment, one of the self-service processes allows acustomer who has no programming expertise to build a web site withdatabase components. This process is called a wizard because it promptsfor customer inputs in a series of screens that are easy for thecustomer to respond to.

6.1 Dot Com Appliance

According to one embodiment, the database web site building wizard isnot executed entirely within the IDSP platform, but is performed using adatabase web site building wizard appliance. This appliance is alsocalled a DotCom appliance because the appliance makes it easy for anenterprise to generate a web site, and most enterprise web sites haveURL addresses that include “.com.”

FIG. 6A is a block diagram of a database web site building wizardappliance according to an embodiment of the disclosed techniques. TheDotCom appliance 610 comprises hardware 616 and a special-purposeoperating system 614. The appliance also includes a process 628 forgenerating the wizard interface and presenting it to an agent of theenterprise building the web site. The DotCom appliance need not beinstalled in an IDSP system 330, but can be plugged into any databaseappliance network. The DotCom appliance also includes components 624used in such web sites, including database components. The DotComappliance also includes templates 626, which are combinations ofcomponents 624 that are frequently used in broad categories of websites. The broad categories of web sites are associated with certainkinds of web site activity, such as those engaged in by corporateheadquarters web sites, retailers web sites, and social center websites. The special-purpose operating system 614 on the DotCom appliance610 is tailored to the wizard interface process 628. The special-purposeoperating system has features and a configuration that are dictated bythe database web site wizard and supporting program components.

The DotCom appliance 610 in FIG. 6A also shows processes for an Internetdatabase server 612 and a site building process 622. The wizardinterface process 628 converts inputs received from the agent of theenterprise into commands that (1) use the database server to create thedatabase and (2) use the site builder process to build a web site basedon the database.

In an alternative embodiment, the Internet database server process 612and a site building process 622 are not included in the DotCom appliancebut reside on other devices. In the alternative embodiment, the DotComappliance is networked with an Internet database server appliance and asite builder appliance. Then, when the wizard interface process 628issues commands for the Internet database server or site builder, thosecommands become requests communicated over the network. Such requestsare responded to by an Internet database appliance and site builderappliance, respectively.

In another alternative embodiment, the site builder process and Internetdatabase server process are on a single appliance, which may be called adatabase site builder appliance.

In the preferred embodiment, the IDSP system includes a DotCom appliancefor building a database web site when the customer selects the databaseweb site building wizard among the self-service data provisioning tools.In an alternative embodiment, this wizard is implemented as a process onthe IDSP platform itself.

6.2 Overview of Web Site Building Wizard

FIG. 6B is a flowchart including steps performed by a database web sitebuilding wizard according to one embodiment. The process begins in step575 in which the customer's current home page is presented the customer.If the customer is just beginning the process of creating its web site,then the home page presented at this point in the process may haveminimal content. Other features on the home page, such as system status,alerts and a list of selectable actions, support other self-servicefunctions as described in other sections. One of the selectable actionsis to launch the web site building wizard.

In response to the customer selecting the database web site buildingwizard, control passes to step 630 which sends a request to the wizardinterface process 628 which, as explained previously, may reside on aDotCom appliance. In step 632, the wizard presents, to the customer,selectable items representing selectable templates. Each templatecorresponds to a category of web sites. For example, one templatecorresponds to corporate headquarters web sites. Another templatecorresponds to another category of web site, such as a retailer website. Templates are described in more detail later.

In step 640, the wizard presents to the customer a series of screensrequesting additional inputs. The template and the additional inputs areused by the wizard to determine how to construct a web site withdatabase components and other components associated with the template.The web site components that are assembled into templates are describedin more detail later.

At any time of the customer's choosing, the customer is presented, instep 650, with a preview of a selected component or Web page for the website, showing the effect of any customer inputs into the series ofscreens.

In step 652, the customer is given the option to save the currentarrangement of the web site as a new customer site template. If thecustomer chooses to save the template, the template is saved in step 654and control passes to step 656. If the customer chooses not to save thetemplate, then control passes directly to step 656.

In step 656, the customer is given the choice to finalize the web site.If the customer feels the web site is not correct, and does not want toapprove the web site in its current room, the customer chooses “No” andcontrol passes to step 658. In step 658, the wizard accepts additionalcustomer inputs to edit, move or modify components from the currentarrangement of the web site. At any point of the user's choosing,control passes back to step 650 to preview the web site and itscomponents.

If, in step 656, the customer feels the web site is correct, controlpasses to step 660. In step 660, a database is created to support thecomponents on the web site. This is done using the Internet databaseserver which may be on a different appliance altogether. In step 670,the web site is built based on contents of the database. This is donewith a site builder which may be on another different appliance. Controlreturns to step 575 in which the customer's home page is presented thecustomer.

6.3 Customization of the Web Site Building Wizard

Before describing web site components and templates in more detailbelow, a process is described which allows the DotCom appliance owner tocustomize the presentations made to the user of the wizard, e.g., a website designer. FIG. 6C is a flowchart of a customization process for aprovider of the database web site building wizard according to anembodiment of the disclosed techniques.

In step 680, a screen is presented to the service provider that includesthe selectable actions. The screen is presented as part of the IDSPprovisioning process in the embodiment in which the DotCom appliance ispart of the IDSP system. In an alternative embodiment, the screen ispresented to the appliance owner as a separate customization process. Instep 682, in response to selecting the option to customize the DotComappliance, the process accepts the appliance owner's inputs of graphicsto display on the screens of the web site building wizard. In step 684,the customization process presents the appliance owner options affectingthe look of web site building wizard, such as the color and fonts on thewizard screens. In one embodiment these customized aspects of the wizardare stores in the templates for the wizard.

In step 686, the customization process accepts the appliance owner'sinputs describing the web site components to add to the list ofselectable components. In step 687, the customization process acceptsthe appliance owner's inputs describing new categories of web sites andthe associated templates with unique combinations of web sitecomponents. These new templates are stored and added to the list oftemplates a web designer may select when operating the wizard.

In step 689, the customization process allows the appliance owner toassociate the look of the wizard screens and the available templateswith particular customers who may select the wizard. After step 689, thecustomization process ends, and the database web site building wizardoption is ready to be selected and operated by a customer.

6.4 Web Site Components

Web site components handle specific functional needs of an enterpriseoperating a web site on the Internet. A web site component that uses thesupport of a database is called a database component. Information thatis fixed and unchanging for all visitors to a site can be handled bycomponents that are not database components. Examples of such componentsare a site logo, a site name, a legal notice, terms of use, and aprivacy statement. Information for the web site that may be updated overtime, or information that changes among visitors, usually requires asupporting database and is thus considered a database component.Examples of web site database components include a product or servicedescription, a product/service price, a list of products/services, acomponent for searching for a product/service among the list ofproducts, a hierarchical list of products/services within categories andsubcategories, a component for searching products/services fallingwithin a category or subcategory, support contact information, personnellists, an item to search a personnel list, a map of the web site, linksto related web sites, a calendar of appointments/events, a banneradvertisement and a shopping cart. The above list is not comprehensive,or intended to be, as one who visits numerous web sites can attest.

In a preferred embodiment, all the components of the web site are storedin a database and a web page for the site is generated from theinformation stored in the database when a browser requests the page.This arrangement allows even relatively static information such as acorporate logo to be easily modified in one location in the database andsubsequently displayed in its modified form on pages generatedthereafter.

The web site building wizard appliance stores a large number of suchcomponents so that a novice user does not have to reinvent them. Thecomponents can be represented in any manner known in the art. In oneembodiment, each component is described by an extensible markup language(XML) document. XML uses user-definable tags to mark sections of textand other resources. Resources that are not text may be identifiedwithin an XML document by text that designates their address, such astheir URL address. The XML tags are used to define one or more databaseobjects, such as tables, queries, procedures, or indexes, that togethercomprise a web site database component.

The web site building wizard allows the user to customize and expand thefunctionality of the predefined components. Using XML, each component isdescribed using defined tags and parameter values. The tags for aparticular set of XML documents, such as templates for a site, aredefined in a document type definition (DTD) document or file. An XMLstylesheet is used to generate code for an HTML document from the XMLdata, and the resulting HTML document is sent to the user's browser forpresentation as a web page to the user. The designer user of the wizardcan select a component to include in the web site or modify a componentby changing the parameter values or both. More detail on how this isaccomplished in an example embodiment is described in a later section.

6.5 Web Site Templates

As indicated above, the web site components can be combined in a hugenumber of permutations. Only some permutations present the web sitecomponents in an orderly way easily understood by a visitor to the website. Many person-months, even person-years, of experience have goneinto developing some of the more successful web sites on the Internet.Few small to medium-size enterprises can afford the expense ofduplicating that experience. Thus, the database web site building wizarddisclosed here prearranges these large number of web site componentsinto one or more templates.

Each template stores a combination of web site components in anarrangement that is especially appropriate for a given category ofactivity on the Internet. In one embodiment, the template is constructedin the XML language in a site-template XML file and references the XMLdocuments describing individual components. In one embodiment, the XMLstatements describing the individual components are copied into thesite-template XML file. The reference may take the form of an anchorwith a link giving the network address where the XML file for thecomponent is to be found.

Using XML to represent components and templates allows the wizard toeasily store the templates, to easily allow the customer to move thecomponents around by changing their description and position in the XMLfile, and to easily store a description of the web site, including anyedits made by the customer. The XML statements are understood by somebrowsers and are translated using stylesheets to the hypertext markuplanguage (HTML) statements understood by all browsers for presentationto the customer.

According to one embodiment, the wizard represents the customer's website using an XML file (the “customer site XML file”). When the customerinitially selects a template, the components defined in the XMLassociated with the template are added to the customer site XML file. Asthe user goes from screen to screen in the wizard, the user specifieschanges, deletions or additions to the components in the site. Inresponse to the user input entered through these screens, the wizardchanges, deletes or adds XML content in the customer site XML file.

When the customer has completed the wizard process, the wizard uses thecustomer site XML file to automatically generate the objects and coderequired to implement the customer site. According to one embodiment,statements within the customer site XML file are used with a translatorto convert the statements to commands understood by a database server,as in step 660, described above. The database server responds to thecommands by building a database to support those components. A web siteis then built with the web site builder based on that database, as instep 670, described above. In one embodiment, the commercial productWebDB of the ORACLE™ Corporation is used to both store components andpages in a database and to dynamically generate a page of the web sitebased on information in the database in response to a visitor requestfor that page. More detail on how this is accomplished in an exampleembodiment is described in a later section.

6.5.1 Example Retailer Web Site Template

An example retailer web site template contains the following hierarchyof folders, each folder containing the listed components. A page of theweb site includes one or more folders.

1. Site logo and site name.

2. A customizable menu containing a list of services offered.

3. A search window with a text box and a “Go” button.

4. Categories and subcategories of products/services.

5. A product/service description including:

-   -   logo    -   Picture/multimedia    -   text    -   Price    -   reviews from other buyers    -   button to add product to shopping cart    -   text box to input visitor review    -   text box to input e-mail address to direct a copy of the        description

6. Shopping cart.

7. Payment server.

8. Text box describing how to order products/service found on the site.

9. A map of the site.

10. A menu for online help.

11. A description of discounts for best buys.

12. A dialog box to input visitor's preferences/interests.

13. Banner advertisement.

6.5.2 Example Corporate Headquarters Web Site Template

An example corporate web site template contains the following hierarchyof folders, each folder containing the listed components. A page of theweb site includes one or more folders.

1. Site logo and site name.

2. Site map.

3. Categories of products/services:

-   -   products/services:        -   list of products/services by category        -   detailed information on individual product/service        -   news and press releases about products/services        -   selectable item to search within category        -   buttons to download free files of products    -   support    -   details of support portfolios    -   technical documents for download    -   support contact information        -   selectable item to search within support

4. Customer successes.

-   -   top/recent success stories        -   selectable item to search within success stories

5. Partners/alliances

-   -   list of services for partners    -   detailed information on individual service for partners    -   dialog box to allow visitor to register as partner    -   news and press releases about partner/alliance services    -   selectable item to search within partner/alliance services

6. Developer's forum

-   -   information about the developers forum    -   Chat service    -   bulletin board    -   link to Internet magazine for technology updates    -   visitor e-mail address input item for technology updates    -   dialog box when role into the forum

7. About the company.

-   -   corporate news/annual reports    -   investor information    -   publications    -   biographies of directors/officers

8. News from the company.

-   -   public relations contacts    -   press releases

9. Events involving the company

-   -   details of upcoming events    -   dialog box to register for event

10. Free downloads

-   -   description of free software    -   selectable item indicating software to download and nearest        server

11. Online store

-   -   components from retailers web site template

12. Employment opportunities

-   -   description of position open    -   dialog box to apply for open position

13. Feedback

-   -   form where visitor inputs comments

14. Description of current marketing push

15. Description of current hot topics

16. Recent announcements.

17. A search window with a text box and a “Go” button.

18. A menu for online help.

19. Legal notice and terms of use.

20. Privacy statements.

6.5.3 Example Social Center Web Site Template

An example social center web site template contains the followinghierarchy of folders, each folder containing the listed components. Apage of the web site includes one or more folders.

1. Site logo and site name.

2. A dialog box for the visitor to sign up to join the social center.

3. Input menus to customize content for future visits to the site.

-   -   news categories        -   top stories        -   global news        -   local news        -   business news        -   technology news        -   sports news        -   travel news        -   health news        -   entertainment news    -   weather    -   stock quotes    -   movie schedule    -   top movies of the week    -   television show schedule    -   maps and directions

4. Input menus to customize layouts for future visits to the site.

5. E-mail.

6. Calendar.

7. Address Book.

8. Voicemail facility.

9. Messaging/paging facility.

10. Chat facility.

11. Directory services.

12. Search window to search the Web—

-   -   input text box and go button/link to search engine.

13. Members grouped by area of interest category.

14. Services provided by area of interest category.

15. Banner advertisement for category chosen.

16. Search window to search the site by area of interest category.

17. News/information specific to area of interest category.

18. Mechanism to edit the content of news stories.

19. Mechanism to customize the location of weather information.

20. Mechanism to customize stock price information.

21. Mechanism to customize the latest scores reported in the sportssection.

22. Horoscope and mechanism to customize horoscope sign.

23. Mechanism to build and host personal web site.

24. Section for running classified advertisements.

25. Online shopping categories:

-   -   apparel    -   books    -   music and video    -   electronics    -   health and beauty

26. Banner advertisement.

27. Menu for online help.

6.6 Example XML Components and Template

Table 1A shows several statements of a document type definition (DTD)file defining XML elements used to describe web site componentsaccording to an embodiment.

TABLE 1A DTD statements defining XML elements used to describe web sitecomponents Statement Number DTD Statement  1 <!ELEMENT dca-component(name title layout description service* custom?)>  2 <!ELEMENT name(#PCDATA)*>  3 <!ELEMENT title (#PCDATA)*>  4 <!ELEMENT layout(#PCDATA)*>  5 <!ELEMENT description (#PCDATA)*>  6 <!ELEMENT service(type url method authuser authpass)*>  7 <!ELEMENT type (#PCDATA)>  8<!ELEMENT url (#PCDATA)>  9 <!ELEMENT method (#PCDATA)> 10 <!ELEMENTauthuser (#PCDATA)*> 11 <!ELEMENT authpass (#PCDATA)*> 12 <!ELEMENTcustom (input+)> 13 <!ELEMENT input EMPTY> 14 <!ATTLIST input typeENUMERATED(text|checkbox|radio|reset|submit) #REQUIRED> 15 <!ATTLISTinput name CDATA #REQUIRED> 16 <!ATTLIST input value CDATA #REQUIRED> 17<!ATTLIST input label CDATA #REQUIRED> 18 <!ATTLIST input checkedENUMERATED(CHECKED|UNCHECKED) #IMPLIED>

The DTD statements included in Table 1A define characteristics ofelements used to define web site components in XML. As indicated by thestatement in line 1 of Table 1A, each component is described using a“dca-component” element that is required to have elements called “name”“title” “layout” and “description” in which such information is placed,as described in more detail below. Lines 2 through 5 indicate that theseelements include any amount of parsed character data as indicated by“#PCDATA”. The dca-component element may optionally include as many“service” elements as needed, as indicated by the “*.” The dca-componentmay also include zero or one “custom” elements, as indicated by the “?”symbol.

The DTD statement in line 6 indicates that the service element allowedin a dca-component element requires child elements called “type” “url”“method” “authuser” and “authpass” in which additional information isplaced, as described in more detail below. Lines 7 through 11 indicatethat these elements include parsed character data and that somecharacter data must be included in the “type”, “url” and “method”elements. As described below, these elements in the service element areused to define each service provided for a web page component. For eachservice, the type of user who may request the service is specified inthe “type” element, the URL of the procedure that performs the serviceis specified in the “url” element, and the HTML form method to passinformation from the user to the procedure is specified in the “method”element. These elements must include character data to specify thisinformation. The next two elements, “authuser” and “authpass” optionallyinclude data to specify authorized users and authorized user passwords,respectively.

The DTD statement in line 12 indicates that the custom element allowedin a dca-component element requires at least one child element called“input” in which additional information is placed, as described in moredetail below. As described below, the custom element is used to defineadjustable properties of a component that can be customized by a webdesigner. Since not every component can be customized, this element isnot required by the dca-component element. If present, it is presentonly once. The actual properties that can be adjusted, and the way thatthe adjustment information is input by the web site designer, aredescribed by the input elements included in the custom element. The “+”symbol indicates that at least one input element is required if thecustom element is used.

The DTD statement in line 13 indicates that the input element in acustom element is empty, i.e., contains no other elements. Theinformation held in the input element is held in the attributes list.One input element is included for each property of a web component thata web designer can adjust. Lines 14 through 18 list the attributes ofeach input element. As described below in more detail, these attributesdescribe the way a user inputs each adjustable property of a component.For each input, the type input is specified in the “type” attributelisted in line 14. Line 14 indicates that the type attribute holdscharacter data as indicated by “CDATA,” and that the type attribute isrequired when using the input element. Line 14 also indicates thatallowed values for the type attribute are the enumerated values “text,”“checkbox,” “radio,” “reset,” and “submit.” These correspond to thetypes of input fields on an HTML form. The input type attribute is usedto determine the input field type on an HTML form employed to allow theweb designer to specify the adjustable property of the component.

Line 15 indicates that the “name” attribute of the input element is alsorequired and is specified using character data. As explained in moredetail below, this attribute provides the name of the adjustableproperty whose value is to be determined by the web designer. Line 16indicates that the “value” attribute of the input element is alsorequired and is specified using character data. As explained in moredetail below, this attribute provides the value for the adjustableproperty whose value is to be determined by the web designer. Becausethe attribute is required, a default value must be included when theelement is used before the input is received from the web designer. Line17 indicates that the “label” attribute of the input element is alsorequired and is specified using character data. As explained in moredetail below, the label holds a description of the adjustable propertyso the web designer can determine whether to change the default value.

Line 18 indicates that the “checked” attribute of the input element isnot required and is specified, when present, using one of the twoenumerated strings “CHECKED” and “UNCHECKED.” As explained in moredetail below, this attribute is used when the type of input is a radiobutton and one of the buttons is initially checked b before receivinginput from the web designer.

Table 1B shows several statements of a document type definition (DTD)file defining XML elements used to describe an arrangement of componentson the one or more pages of the web site.

TABLE 1B DTD statements defining XML elements used to arrange components(items) into pages (folders) for a web site Statement Number DTDStatement  1 <!ELEMENT site-template (name base category style?site-map)>  2 <!ELEMENT style(name font* color* navbar)>  3 <!ELEMENTsite-map(folders)>  4 <!ELEMENT folders (name title description bannerfolders* item* )>  5 <!ELEMENT item (type name category displayoutput-folder arguments? )>  6 <!ELEMENT arguments(argv+)>  7 <!ELEMENTargv (#PCDATA)*>  8 <!ATTLIST argv pos CDATA #REQUIRED>  9 <!ELEMENTname (#PCDATA)*> 10 <!ELEMENT base (#PCDATA)*> 11 <!ELEMENT category(#PCDATA)*> 12 <!ELEMENT navbar (#PCDATA)*> 13 <!ELEMENT title(#PCDATA)*> 14 <!ELEMENT description (#PCDATA)*> 15 <!ELEMENT banner(#PCDATA)*> 16 <!ELEMENT type (#PCDATA)*> 17 <!ELEMENT display(#PCDATA)*> 18 <!ELEMENT output-folder (#PCDATA)*>

As indicated by the statement in line 1 of Table 1B, each web site isdescribed using a “site-template” element that is required to have oneeach of elements called “name” “base” and “category” in which suchinformation is placed, as described in more detail below. Lines 9through 11 indicate that these elements include any amount of parsedcharacter data. When used by the site-template element, the categoryelement describes the category of web site activities described by thetemplate, such as a Corporate category, a Retailer category and a SocialCenter category, as described above. The category and name element arealso used by other elements for holding other content, as describedbelow. The site-template element also includes a “style” element definedin line 2 of Table 1B and a “site-map” element defined in line 3.

The DTD statement in line 2 indicates that the style element allowed ina site-template element requires one each of child elements called“name” described above and “navbar” in which additional information isplaced. Lines 9 and 12 indicate these elements include any amount ofparsed character data. Line 2 also indicates the style element allowsfor optional one or more elements called “font” and “color” that areused to define fonts and colors of text in an HTML document derived fromthe XML document being defined, as described below. The DTD statementsfurther defining the attributes of the font and color elements areomitted from Table 1B to keep the table small and this descriptionsimple. The attributes are evident from the example described below.

The DTD statement in line 3 indicates that the site-map element requiredin a site-template element requires a child element called “folders.” Asdescribed below, this element describes the home page.

The DTD statement in line 4 indicates that each folders element includesrequired elements named “name”, “title”, “description”, and “banner”that may include parsed character data to describe the page, asindicated in lines 9, 13, 14, and 15 of Table 1B, respectively. The useof these elements is described in more detail in the example describedbelow.

The DTD statement in line 4 also indicates that each folders element mayinclude additional folders elements to describe child pages that arelaunched from the current page. Thus, the folders element may be used todescribe a hierarchy of folders corresponding to a hierarchy of pagesfor the web site. The folders element included in the site-map element,e.g., the home page, is the root of the hierarchy.

The DTD statement in line 4 also indicates that each folders element mayinclude item elements corresponding to components on the web pagecorresponding to the folders element. The DTD statement in line 5indicates that each item element requires one each of elements named“type”, “name”, “category”, “display”, and “output-folder” to providesuch information. These elements may include parsed character data asindicated by lines 16, 9, 11, 17 and 18 of Table 1B, respectively. Theuse of these elements is described in the example described below. Inthe example, the “name” element of the item element is used to hold thename of the component used in the component XML document, so that theinformation provided in the XML document describing the web site can berelated to the information in the XML document describing the individualcomponent.

The DTD statement in line 5 also indicates that each item element mayhave one “arguments” element. An arguments element is included in anitem element if the corresponding web site component has adjustableproperties. As indicated by the DTD statement in line 6 of Table 1B, anarguments element includes one or more “argv” elements used to hold thevalues for the arguments that specify the adjustable properties of thecomponent for the current page of the web site being designed. Asindicated by the DTD statement in line 7, the argv element holds parsedcharacter data that indicates the value to use for a particularadjustable property. As indicated by the DTD statement in line 8, theargv element has a required attribute called “pos” that holds characterdata. As explained in the example described below, the pos attribute isused to indicate the position of the argument in the call to theprocedure that adjusts the properties of the component.

Table 2 shows several lines of XML code describing a discussionforumcomponent for a web site, according to this embodiment, using the tagsdefined in the DTD statements listed in Table 1A.

TABLE 2 Line Number XML Statements XML file describing a discussionforumcomponent for a web site.  1 <dca-component>  2 <name>discussionforum</name>  3 <title>Discussionforum</title>  4<layout>discforum_cust.xsl</layout>  5 <description>Read and postmessages</description>  6 <service>  7 <type>RUN</type>  8<url>dca.dca_forum_main.forumQueryPage</url>  9 <method>GET</method> 10<authuser></authuser> 11 <authpass></authpass> 12 </service> 13<service> 14 <type>ADMIN</type> 15<url>dca.dca_forum_main.forumAdminPage</url> 16 <method>GET</method> 17<authuser></authuser> 18 <authpass></authpass> 19 </service> 20 <custom>21  <input type=“text” 22 name=“p_no_of_items” 23 value=“5” 24 label=“Noof items to be displayed(Enter a number greater than 0 or enter ALL toview all items)” 25 /> 26  <input type=“radio” 27 name=“p_sort_order” 28value=“createdate” 29 label=“Sort by creation date” 30 checked=“CHECKED”31 /> XML file defining XML elements used to describe web site 32 <input type=“radio” 33 name=“p_sort_order” 34 value=“noofthreads” 35label=“Sort by number of threads” 36 /> 37  <input type=“radio” 38name=“p_sort_order” 39 value=“postdate” 40 label=“Sort by last responsedate” 41 /> 42  <input type=“submit” 43 name=“p_submit” 44 value=“ OK ”45 /> 46  <input type=“reset” 47 name=“p_reset” 48 value=“ Reset ” 49 />50  </custom> 51  </dca-component>

Not shown in Table 2 are the conventional XML statements that identify astart and end of particular document as an XML document and specify afile name for an external DTD file associated with the document.

The XML <dca-component> tag in line 1 of Table 2 opens the XML elementdescribing a component; and the </dca-component> tag in line 51 closesthis XML element. As described in the DTD of Table 1A, a dca-componentelement contains a name element, a title element, a layout element, adescription element, one or more service elements, and at most onecustom element.

In line 2 of Table 2, the name element is included; and the open andclose name tags, “<name>” and “</name>,” indicate the name for thiscomponent is “discussionforum.” This name is useful to uniquely identifythis kind of component. In line 3 of Table 2, the title element isincluded; and the open and close tags, “<title>” and “</title>,”indicate the title for this component is “Discussionforum.” This titleis useful for inserting into a web page when information about thiscomponent is presented to a web designer in the designer's browser. Inline 5 of Table 2, the description element is included; and the open andclose tags, “<description>” and “</description>,” indicate that thiscomponent is used on a web site to “Read and post messages.” Thisdescription is useful for helping a web designer determine whether toinclude this component in the web site being designed.

In line 4 of Table 2, the layout element is included; and the open andclose tags, “<layout>” and “</layout>,” indicate that presentations forthe discussionforum component is based on an extensible stylesheetlanguage (XSL) stored in a file having a relative URL address of“discforum_cust.xsl.” Since no domain name or directory information isindicated in the URL, the file is located in the same directory as theXML file including the statements of Table 2. Some contents of thestylesheet in this XSL file, and the manner in which those contents areused, are described later with respect to Table 4.

In lines 6 through 12 of Table 2, a service element is includedinvolving the open and close tags, “<service>” and “</service>.” Asindicated by the DTD shown in Table 1A, a service element includes aservice type element, a URL element, a method element, an authorizeduser element, and a password element. In line 7, the service typeelement is included; and the open and close tags, “<type>” and“</type>,” indicate that this service is of type “RUN” for using atruntime, e.g., after the web site has been built with this component andwhen the component is called upon by a visitor to the web site.

In line 8, the URL element is included; and the open and close tags,“<url>” and “</url>,” indicate that the URL of the procedure thatperforms the service is “dca.dca_forum_main.forumQueryPage.” In thisembodiment, a URL of this form indicates an ORACLE™ PL/SQL procedure“forumQueryPage” in a package named “dca_forum_main” in a package named“dca” in the same directory as the document having the XML code of Table2. PL/SQL is an extension to structured query language (SQL) that isproprietary to the ORACLE™ Corporation. In the PL/SQL system a packageis a collection of procedures that can be called externally; thus thepackage provides an application program interface (API). In otherembodiments the procedure associated with a service can reside onanother location on the network. In yet other embodiments, the procedureis not within a PL/SQL package but is any program that can be launchedin response to input from a user at a browser. Such programs include aJavaScript script that is downloaded by a browser and executed on theclient's machine, and a server side operating system script, and a JAVAservlet of a web server process, and a stand alone server sideapplication.

In line 9, the method element is included; and the open and close tags,“<method>” and “</method>,” indicate that the method is “GET.” Themethod element refers to the method for submitting user input on an HTMLform to the procedure that provides the service. The two methodscurrently available on HTML forms are GET and POST. Line 8 indicatesthat the discussionforum component expects to receive user input usingthe GET method. According to the GET method, data indicating user inputon the HTML form is appended to the URL identifying the procedure andthe extended URL is sent to the web server. The web server places thisdata indicating user input into an environmental variable called“QUERY_STRING” that can be accessed by the procedure.

In line 10, the authorized user element is included; and the open andclose tags, “<authuser>” and “</authuser>,” indicate that no authorizeduser is identified for this service of the component. This is expectedbecause the authorized user depends upon the designer who uses thewizard to build the web site. Similarly, in line 11, the authorized userpassword element is included; and the open and close tags, “<authpass>”and “</authpass>,” indicate that no authorized user password isidentified for this service.

In lines 13 through 19 of Table 2, a second service element is includedinvolving the open and close tags, “<service>” and “</service>.” In line14, the service type element is included; and the open and close tags,“<type>” and “</type>,” indicate that this service is of type “ADMIN”for using by web site administrator, to maintain or re-configure thediscussionforum.

In line 15, the URL element is included; and the open and close tags,“<url>” and “</url>,” indicate that the URL of the procedure thatperforms the service is “dca.dca_forum_main.forumAdminPage.” In thisembodiment, as described above, this URL indicates a PL/SQL procedure“forumAdminPage” in a package named “dca_forum_main” in a package named“dca” in the same directory as the document having the XML code of Table2. In other embodiments, the package is not in the same directory or theprocedure is not within a PL/SQL package but is any program that can belaunched in response to input from a user at a browser. This packageprovides controls that a web page administrator can use to configure andmaintain the discussionforum.

In line 16, the method element is included; and the open and close tags,“<method>” and “</method>,” indicate that the method is “GET.” In line17, the authorized user element is included; and the open and closetags, “<authuser>” and “</authuser>,” indicate that no authorized useris identified for this service of the component. Similarly, in line 18,the authorized user password element is included; and the open and closetags, “<authpass>” and “</authpass>,” indicate that no authorized userpassword is identified for this service.

In lines 20 through 50 of Table 2, a custom element is included for thediscussionforum component. The custom element involves the open andclose tags, “<custom>” and “</custom>,” and the intervening elements. Asindicated by the DTD shown in Table 1A, a custom element includes one ormore input elements. The input elements have attributes but can containno other elements. The input elements describe the way a designer of theweb site inputs information on HTML forms to customize the particularcomponent, in this case the discussionforum component. Each propertycorresponding to an input elements is used by at least one of theservices associated with the component.

In lines 21 through 25, a first input element is included for thediscussionforum component. Attribute “type” is set equal to a value of“text” indicating the first input element is a text input box. In line22, attribute “name” is set to a value of “p no of items” and provides aunique name for the input element. In line 23, attribute “value” is setto “5” to provide a default entry in the text box of “5.” In line 24,attribute “label” contains text that describes what information the webdesigner should type into the text box. As indicated by the value of“label,” this text box is used to input the “[number] of items to bedisplayed.” Further, the value of the “label” attribute instructs thevisitor to “(Enter a number greater than 0 or enter ALL to view allitems).” This input element is useful for allowing a web designer todetermine how much of a discussion occurring in the discussionforum toview at one time. By virtue of its appearance within the custom element,at least one of the attributes of this input element can be modified bythe web site designer, for example to display a different number ofitems.

In lines 26 through 41, three more input elements are included for thediscussionforum component. These three input elements are useful forbuilding three radio buttons belonging to a set named “p_sort_order” onan HTML form. A web site designer may select only one radio button of aset in an HTML form. Attribute “type” is set equal to a value of “radio”and attribute “name” is set to “p_sort-order” for all three elementscorresponding to the set (lines 26 and 27, 32 and 33, and 37 and 38,respectively). The input element corresponding to the first radio buttonhas an attribute “label” set to a value of “Sort by creation date” inline 29; the input element corresponding to the second radio button hasan attribute “label” set to a value of “Sort by number of threads” inline 35; and, the input element corresponding to the third radio buttonhas an attribute “label” set to a value of “Sort by last response date”in line 40. The attribute called “value” is set to “createdate” in line28, to “noofthreads” in line 34, and to “postdate” in line 39, for thethree elements, respectively, indicating the value to assign to the setif the designer activates the corresponding radio button. In addition,the input element corresponding to the first radio button has anattribute “checked” set to a value of “CHECKED.” These input elementshold information that allows an HTML form to be constructed with threeradio buttons of which the button corresponding to sorting by creationdate is checked initially. By virtue of their appearance within thecustom element, at least one of the attributes of each of these inputelements can be modified by the web site designer, for example bysetting the “checked” attribute of the first radio button input elementto “UNCHECKED” and setting the “checked” attribute of a differentelement to “CHECKED.”

In lines 42 through 49, two more input elements are included for thediscussionforum component. These two input elements are useful forbuilding a submit button and a reset button on an HTML form. When avisitor to a web site selects a submit button on an HTML form, theinformation on the form is sent from the browser using the GET or POSTmethod specified when the form is built. When a visitor selects a resetbutton on the HTML form, the values of the input fields in the form arecleared. By virtue of their appearance within the custom element, thesetwo input elements are presented to the web site designer for indicatingwhen the designer is finished changing the values of the adjustableproperties.

Table 3 shows several lines in a template XML document describing atemplate for a simple, example social center web site including a newscomponent and a discussion group component.

TABLE 3 Statements in a template XML document. Line Number XMLStatements  1 <site-template id=“1”>  2 <name>Community</name>  3<base>localhost</base>  4 <category>community</category>  5  <style>  6 <name>DEFAULT</name>  7  <font type=“HEADING” size=“3”style=“BOLD”>Arial</font>  8  <font type=“SUBHEADING” size=“2”style=“PLAIN”>Arial</font>  9  <font type=“DESCRIPTION” size=“2”style=“PLAIN”>Arial</font> 10  <font type=“LINK” size=“2”style=“BOLD”>Arial</font> 11  <font type=“CONTACT” size=“2”style=“PLAIN”>Arial</font> 12  <colortype=“BACKGROUND”>#FFFFFF</color>13  <colortype=“HEADINGBACKGROUND”>#CCCCFF</color> 14 <colortype=“HEADINGTEXT”>#FFFFFF</color> 15 <colortype=“SUBHEADINGBACKGROUND”>#CCCCCC</color> 16 <colortype=“SUBHEADINGTEXT”>#FFFFFF</color> 17 <colortype=“LINK”>#0000FF</color> 18 <colortype=“VISITEDLINK”>#FF0000</color> 19 <colortype=“CONTACT”>#000000</color> 20 <colortype=“DESCRIPTION”>#000000</color> 21  <navbar>FRAME</navbar> 22 </style> 23 <site-map> 24 <folders> 25 <name>root</name> 26 <title>SiteHome Page</title> 27 <description></description> 28<banner>NONE</banner> 29 <item> 30 <type>CUSTOM</type> 31<name>news</name> 32 <category>REGULAR</category> 33<display>INPLACE</display> 34  <output-folder></output-folder> 35 <arguments> 36  <argv pos=“1”>dca</argv> 37  <argv pos=“2”>us</argv> 38 <argv pos=“3”>5</argv> 39  <argv pos=“4”>public</argv> 40  <argvpos=“5”>Y</argv> 41  <argv pos=“6”>Y</argv> 42  </arguments> 43 </item>44 <item> 45  <type>CUSTOM</type> 46  <name>discussionforum</name> 47 <category>REGULAR</category> 48  <display>INPLACE</display> 49<output-folder></output-folder> 50  <arguments> 51  <argvpos=“1”>dca</argv> 52  <argv pos=“2”>us</argv> 53  <argvpos=“3”>createdate</argv> 54  <argv pos=“4”>5</argv> 55  </arguments> 56</item> 57 <folders> 58 <name>admin</name> 59 <title>ManageComponents</title> 60 <description>Administration ofComponents</description> 61 <banner>NONE</banner> 62 </folders> 63<folders> 64 <name>news</name> 65 <title>News Page</title> 66<description></description> 67 <banner>NONE</banner> 68 </folders> 69<folders> 70 <name>discussionforum</name> 71 <title>DiscussionforumPage</title> 72 <description></description> 73 <banner>NONE</banner> 74<item> 75 <type>CUSTOM</type> 76 <name>discussionforumlong</name> 77<category>REGULAR</category> 78 <display>INPLACE</display> 79<output-folder></output-folder> 80 <arguments> 81 <argvpos=“1”>dca</argv> 82 <argv pos=“2”>us</argv> 83 <argvpos=“3”>createdate</argv> 84 <argv pos=“4”>ALL</argv> 85 </arguments> 86</item> 87 </folders> 88  </folders> 89 </site-map> 90 </site-template>

In this embodiment, these statements are in a file named“Community.xml”. Note that “community” in this context is a category ofsocial activities performed with a web site and is different from theCommunity Server for one or more database providers described above. TheXML <site-template> tag in line 1 of Table 3 opens the XML elementdescribing a template; and the </site-template> tag in line 90 closesthis XML element. As described in the DTD of Table 1B, a site-templateelement contains a name element, a base element, a category element, astyle element, a site-map element, and a folders element. The webdesigner may modify the contents of the community.xml file, as describedin a later section, using a series of wizard screens to produce acustomer site XML file.

In line 2 of Table 3, the name element is included; and the open andclose name tags, “<name>” and “</name>,” indicate the name for thissite-template is “Community.” This name is useful to uniquely identifythis kind of template. In line 4 of Table 3, the category element isincluded; and the open and close tags, “<category>” and “</category>,”indicate that this template corresponds to the “community” category ofweb site activities. When a web site designer modifies the site-templateto produce the customer site XML file, the designer may replace eitherthe name or category associated with the modified template, or both. Forexample, the designer may leave the category “community” after modifyingthe site-template but place the text “MyOwnKindOfCSocialCenter” into thename element of the site-template element.

In line 3 of Table 3, the base element is included; and the open andclose tags, “<base>” and “</base>,” indicate the base network node fromwhich relative addresses are defined for resources included on the website. The text “localhost” indicates that resources for the communityweb site are addressed relative to the local host address. Duringdesign, the local host may be one platform, while during run time theweb site and resources might be moved to a different platform, whichbecomes the new local host. That change is accomplished simply byreplacing the address associated with the text “localhost.”

In lines 5 through 22 of Table 3, a style element is included for thecommunity template. The style element involves the open and close tags,“<style>” and “</style>,” and the intervening elements. As indicated bythe DTD shown in Table 1, a style element includes a name element, zeroor more font elements, zero or more color elements, and a navbarelement. These elements are useful for presenting a template to a webdesigner with the specified fonts and colors and navigation bar. Toassist the web site designer, the community template includes data forfont and background color and for font type for a variety of HTML tagssuch as heading, subheading, description, and link. This particularstyle element is named “DEFAULT” in line 6. The web site designer maymodify the data associated with these elements contained in the styleelement and give a different name, such as “MyOwnFonts,” to the styleelement having the modified data in the modified template thatconstitutes the customer site XML file.

In lines 23 through 89 a site-map element is included in the communityweb site template. The site-map element involves the open and closetags, “<site-map>” on line 23 and “</site-map>” on line 89,respectively, and the intervening elements. As indicated by the DTDshown in Table 1, a site-map element includes a folders element; and afolders element includes a name element, a title element, a descriptionelement, a banner element, zero or more item elements and zero or moreother folders elements. Thus there may be a hierarchy of folderselements within folders elements. The first folders element in the sitemap element is the root folder for the web site. Each web page of a website is conveniently represented by a folders element in the site map.The components on a page are conveniently represented by the itemelements. A web page associated with a particular folders element thathas a child folders element includes a link to the web page associatedwith the child folders element.

In lines 24 through 88 of the community web site template in Table 3, asingle folders element is included in the site-map element. The folderselement involves the open and close tags, “<folders>” on line 24 and“</folders>” on line 88, and the intervening elements. This is thefolders element for the web page from which branch all the other webpages on the site, if any. This is the root folders element thatrepresents the home page of the web site being designed. In the originaltemplate shown in Table 3, this folders element has a name “root” in aname element on line 25, a title “Site Home Page” in a title element online 26. The description element on line 27 has no initial value, butcan be modified by the web designer to include a description in thecustomer site XML file. The initial community template also has nobanner advertisement graphic, as indicated by the text “NONE” in thebanner element on line 28. The banner element may be modified by the website designer to include in the modified template in the customer siteXML file a reference to a graphic the fills a banner advertisementlocation on the web page.

The home page folders element of the Community template of Table 3includes two item elements and three folders elements representing twocomponents and three links, respectively, on the home page HTML documentthat is generated from this template, as described in the next section.As indicated by the DTD shown in Table 1B, an item element includes atype element, a name element, a category element, a display element, anoutput-folder element, and an arguments element. The item element isuseful for identifying and customizing the web site component that isintended for the page corresponding to the folders element within whichthe item element resides.

In lines 29 through 43 the first item element is included in the folderselement corresponding to the home page. The first item element involvesthe open and close tags, “<item>” on line 29 and “</item>” on line 43,respectively, and the intervening elements. This first item elementindicates that a news component is intended for the home page by virtueof the “news” text contained in the name element on line 31. Thiscomponent is customizable by the web site designer as indicated by the“CUSTOM” content of the type element in line 30. In line 32 of Table 3,the item category element is included; and the open and close tags,“<category>” and “</category>,” indicate the category is “REGULAR.” Thiscategory element is used to group components when they are inserted intothe web page by the web site building routine, such as by WebDB. Byplacing this component in a “REGULAR” category it is treated the sameway as other components in the that category. This category may be usedto distinguish components that are supported by procedures that executeon a DotCom appliance from components that are supported by proceduresthat execute on another or remote platform. In line 33 of Table 3, theitem display element is included; and the open and close tags,“<display>” and “</display>,” indicate the display of the news componentis “INPLACE,” which means that the web page displays the actualcomponent rather then including simply a link to a resource thatdisplays the component if the link is selected. In line 34 of Table 3,the item output-folder element is included; and the open and close tags,“<output-folder>” and “</output-folder>,” enclose no data identifying anoutput folder. The output-folder element may be modified by the web sitedesigner to include a name of a directory and a file where any outputgenerated by the component, such as a message pulled from a discussiongroup, may be stored temporarily. This is especially useful when thecomponent is provided by an external resource such as a remote databasethat places results from a query in a file on the remote system.

In lines 35 through 42 the arguments element is included in the firstitem element corresponding to the news component. The arguments elementinvolves the open and close tags, “<arguments>” on line 35 and“</arguments>” on line 42, respectively, and the intervening elements.As indicated by the DTD shown in Table 1B, an arguments element includesone or more argument value elements; and, an argument value elementincludes a required position attribute “pos” and contains only textdata, i.e., no other elements. The argument value elements are usefulfor setting the customizable parameters of a particular component on theweb page being designed and for passing arguments to procedures calledto provide the functionality behind a web site component. The newscomponent has six customizable parameters or arguments passed to one ormore underlying procedures. In lines 36 through 41, values for these sixparameters or arguments are provided in six argument value elements.Each line contains one argument value element including the opening andclosing tags, “<argv>” and “</argv>”, respectively, and the data to passas an argument. Each open tag specifies the position of the argumentthat is to pass the provided data to the procedure by assigning a valuein the range 1 through 6 to the “pos” attribute.

In lines 44 through 56 the second item element is included in thefolders element corresponding to the home page. This second item elementindicates that a discussionforum component is intended for the home pageby virtue of the “discussionforum” text contained in the name element online 46, which matches the component name in line 2 of Table 2. Thiscomponent is also customizable by the web site designer as indicated bythe “CUSTOM” content of the type element in line 35. In line 47 the itemcategory element indicates the “REGULAR” category, in line 48 the itemdisplay element indicates “INPLACE” display, and in line 49 the itemoutput-folder element does not specify an output-folder. Thediscussionforum component passes four customizable arguments tosupporting procedures and these are provided in the four argument valueelements of the arguments element in lines 50 through 55. Of thesearguments, the argument value “dca” in position “pos”=1 is the PL/SQLpackage containing the procedures that provide the services associatedwith the component (see lines 8 and 15 of Table 2). The argument value“createdate” in position “pos”=3 is the sort order radio button that isinitially checked on the input form (see line 30 of Table 2). Theargument value “5” in position “pos”=4 is the number of items to displayin the discussionforum at one time (see line 23 of Table 2).

The root folders element that corresponds to the home page also includesthree child folders elements in this example embodiment. Those childfolders elements are an “admin” folders element in lines 57 through 62representing a page to be titled “Manage Components”; a “news” folderselement in lines 63 through 68 representing a page to be titled “NewsPage”; and a “discussionforum” folders element in lines 69 through 87representing a page to be titled “Discussionforum Page.” In the exampleCommunity template, the admin folders element and the news folderselement contain no item elements or folders elements and thereforeindicate no components or additional pages. Of course the web sitedesigner may add components to these folders when modifying the templateto form the customer site XML document. In other embodiments additionalitems and folders elements, as listed above for the social centertemplate, are included in the folders of the Community template.

The example Community template does include a discussionforum item inthe disussionforum folders element in lines 74 through 86 of Table 3.The elements contained in this item element are the same as alreadydescribed above with respect to lines 44 through 56 of Table 3. The dataincluded in each element is also the same as described above, excepthere, in line 84, the argument value associated with the number of itemsto display at once in the discussion group is “ALL” instead of “5.”

The discussion of Table 2 and Table 3 show how components for a web sitecan be described using XML statements, and how components can bearranged in a template that represents a web site also using XMLstatements. However, in the preferred embodiment, both the web sitedesigner and the ultimate visitor to the Web site are presented withHTML documents containing HTML statements for display to a user by abrowser and for receiving user input at the browser. An XML document maybe translated to an HTML document using an XML translator. Instructionsto the translator for performing the translation are provided inextensible stylesheet language (XSL) statements defined by a standardcalled the XSL Translator (XSLT). Example XSLT statements are providedin Table 4.

6.7 Example Presentation of XML Component to Web Designer

An XML document may be translated to an HTML document using an XMLtranslator and the XSLT statements listed in Table 4.

TABLE 4 XSLT file for translating a component XML document to HTML. LineNumber XSLT Statements  1 <xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl= “url for w3 orgXSL/Transform file v 1.0″>  2 <xsl:template match=″/″>  3<xsl:apply-templates select=″dca-component″/>  4 </xsl:template>  5 <xsl:template match=″dca-component″>  6 <html>  7 <head>  8 <scriptLanguage=″Javascript″>  9 function formSubmit( ){ 10document.disccustfrm.p_site_id.value=parent.top_frame.document.xx.p_site_id.value; 11document.disccustfrm.p_occurrence.value=parent.mrr_frame.document.mrrform.p_item_whichth_occurance.value; 12 document.disccustfrm.submit( ); 13} 14 </script> 15 </head> 16 <FORM NAME=″disccustfrm″ METHOD=″POST″ 17ACTION=″dca.dca_forum_data.set_args″> 18  <xsl:apply-templatesselect=″custom″/> 19  <INPUT TYPE=″HIDDEN″ NAME=″p_site_id″ VALUE=″″/>20  <INPUT TYPE=″HIDDEN″ NAME=″p_occurrence″ VALUE=″″/> 21 </FORM> 22</html> 23 </xsl:template> 24 <xsl:template match=″custom″> 25  <table >26  <xsl:apply-templatesselect=″input[@type=″text″]|input[@type=″radio″]″/> 27  <tr> 28<xsl:apply-templatesselect=″input[@type=″submit″]|input[@type=″reset″]″/> 29  </tr> 30 </table> 31 </xsl:template> 32 <xsl:template match=″input″> 33<xsl:variable name=″fieldname″> 34 <xsl:value-of select=″@name″/> 35</xsl:variable> 36 <xsl:variable name=″fieldlbl″> 37 <xsl:value-ofselect=″@label″/> 38 </xsl:variable> 39 <xsl:variable name=″fieldval″>40 <xsl:value-of select=″@value″/> 41 </xsl:variable> 42 <xsl:variablename=″fieldtype″> 43 <xsl:value-of select=″@type″/> 44 </xsl:variable>45 <xsl:variable name=″fieldwidth″> 46 <xsl:value-of select=″@size″/> 47</xsl:variable> 48 <xsl:choose> 49  <xsl:when test=″@type=″text″″> 50 <tr> 51  <td><FONT SIZE=″2″ FACE=″Arial″><xsl:value-ofselect=″@label″/></FONT> 52  </td> 53  <td> 54 <INPUTTYPE=″{$fieldtype}″ VALUE=″{$fieldval}″ NAME=″{$fieldname}″ SIZE=″15″/>55  </td> 56  </tr> 57  </xsl:when> 58  <xsl:when test=″@type=″radio″″>59  <tr> 60  <td> 61 <xsl:if test=″@value=″createdate″″> 62 <INPUTTYPE=″{$fieldtype}″ VALUE=″{$fieldval}″ 63 NAME=″{$fieldname}″ 64CHECKED=″{@checked}″/> 65 </xsl:if> 66 <xsl:if test=″@value=″postdate″″>67 <INPUT TYPE=″{$fieldtype}″ VALUE=″{$fieldval}″ 68 NAME=″{$fieldname}″/> 69 </xsl:if> 70 <xsl:if test=″@value=″noofthreads″″> 71 <INPUTTYPE=″{$fieldtype}″ VALUE=″{$fieldval}″ 72 NAME=″{$fieldname}″ /> 73</xsl:if> 74  <FONT SIZE=″2″ FACE=″Arial″><xsl:value-of 75select=″@label″/></FONT></td> 76  <td></td> 77  </tr> 78  </xsl:when> 79 <xsl:when test=″@type=″submit″″> 80 <td width=″35%″ align=″right″> 81<INPUT TYPE=“BUTTON” VALUE=″{$fieldval}″ 82 NAME=″{$fieldname}″onclick=″formSubmit( );″/> 83 </td> 84  </xsl:when> 85 <xsl:whentest=″@type=″reset″″> 86 <td width=″65%″ align=″left″> 87  <INPUTTYPE=“RESET” VALUE=″{$fieldval}″ 88 NAME=″{$fieldname}″ 89WIDTH=″{$fieldwidth}″/> 90 </td> 91  </xsl:when> 92  </xsl:choose> 93 </xsl:template> 94 </xsl:stylesheet>

Table 4 shows several lines of statements for an extensible stylesheetlanguage translator (XSLT) for translating an XML document describing adiscussionforum (as listed in Table 2) into an HTML document to bepresented to a web site designer for customizing the forum. In thisembodiment, these statements are in a file named “discforum_cust.xsl” asindicated by line 4 of Table 2. The resulting HTML document is displayedby a browser of the web site designer to present the customizationparameters of the discussionforum. This HTML document includes forms forobtaining input from the web site designer indicating how to change thecustomization parameters for the discussionforum component.

In line 1, in accordance with the XML standards, the document in thefile is identified as an XML stylesheet (XSL) that uses terms defined inthe standard XSL translator (XSLT) file indicated by the URL of the “w3”organization at directory “/XSL/Transform/1.0.”

Terms defined in that file constitute an XML namespace (xmlns) that isreferenced within the current document by the prefix “xsl:”. Thus the<template> tag defined in the standard XSLT file, and described below,is referenced within the current document as “<xsl:template>”. Note thatthe XSLT tag “<template>” is not the same as the web site templatedescribed above with respect to Table 3. In the following discussion,the two templates are distinguished: the XSLT template tag appears belowand in Table 4 as “<xsl:template>”; and the web site template ofcomponents appears as “site-template.”

The xshemplate element finds content in XML tags and places that contentwithin new tags included as data for the xshemplate element. As appliedin Table 4, the new tags in the xshemplate element are all HTML tags.

The first xshemplate element involves lines 2 through line 4 andincludes the attribute “match” set to the value “/” which tells thetranslator what to do at the root element of the XML document. Thexshemplate element may include data or any of several other elements. Inline 2, an empty xsl:apply-templates element is included. This elementhas an attribute “select” indicating the selected pattern to which thetranslator should apply a template when at the root element of thedocument. Here select is set to “dca-component” indicating that atemplate should be applied to the dca-component eleemnt.

The second xsl.template element involves lines 5 through 23 and includesan attribute called “match” set to a value “dca-component.” Thistemplate describes the substitutions to be made when the translatorfinds the pattern in the match attribute. Thus, when the translatorfinds the pattern “dca-component” the data between the opening tag online 5 and the closing tag on line 23 is inserted into the resultingdocument. As can be seen, the text on lines 6 through 22 compriseseveral HTML tags that define the opening and closing of the HTMLdocument (<html> and </html> on lines 6 and 22, respectively), a header(<head> and </head> on lines 7 and 15, respectively) and a script(<script Language=“Javascript”> and </script> on lines 8 and 14,respectively). Also inserted into this HTML document is an HTML FORMopened on line 16 and closed on line 21.

Within the data of this template is another XSLT element, the“xsl:apply-templates” element on line 18 with the attribute “select” setto a value of “custom”. This statement tells the translator to producethe HTML statements that belong between the HTML statements on line 17and line 19 based on applying templates to XML elements having the“custom” tag.

The third xsl.template element involves lines 5 through 23 and includesthe attribute “match” set to the value “custom.” This template describesthe substitutions to be made when the translator finds the pattern“custom” in an XML tag. The data between the opening tag on line 24 andthe closing tag on line 31 is inserted into the resulting document. Ascan be seen, the text on lines 25 through 30 comprise several HTML tagsthat define a table and a row in the table.

These lines also include two additional xsl:apply-templates elements,one on line 26 and the other on line 28. The first, on line 26, insertsHTML code in this location based on templates that apply to XML elementsthat include in the tag the pattern “input” having the attribute “type”set to “text” (represented by the expression input[@type=“text”]) or setto “radio” (input[@type=“radio”]) Such XML elements are included inTable 2 on lines 21 through 41. The second, on line 28, inserts HTMLcode in this location based on templates that apply to XML elements thatinclude in the tag the pattern “input” having the attribute type set to“submit” or “reset.” Such XML elements are included in Table 2 on lines42 through 49.

The template that applies to the input XML elements involves lines 32through 93 of Table 4. In lines 33 through 47 information from the inputXML element is placed into xsl:variable elements. Each xsl:variableelement has an attribute called “name” and includes a “xsl:value-of”element that has an attribute called “select”. The name attribute is setto a text string that gives a name for the xsl:varaible; and the selectattribute is set to the value of an attribute of the XML element. Forexample, when this portion of this template is applied to the XML inputelement on lines 21 through 24 of Table 2, the xsl:variable named“fieldname” is set to “p_no_of_items”; the xsl:variable named “fieldlbl”is set to “No of items to be displayed (Enter a number greater than 0 orenter ALL to view all items”; the xsl:variable named “fieldval” is setto “5”; the xsl:variable named “fieldtype” is set to “text”; and thexsl:variable named “fieldwidth” is set to “1”.

The next blocks of XSLT statements, between the xsl:choose open tag online 48 and the close tag on line 92, instruct the translator to insertdifferent input fields into different rows and columns of the HTML tableof the HTML form. The block of statements from line 49 through 57 areused by the translator when the XML element input “type” attribute isset to “text”; the block from line 58 through 78 are used when it is setto “radio”; the block from line 79 though 84 is used when it is set to“submit”; and the block from line 85 through 91 is used when it is setto “reset.” For example, if the input type is “text” a row of the HTMLtable is added by line 50 that includes two columns (i.e., two tabledata elements <td>). In the first column the label is inserted with thespecified font and size by line 51. In line 54 an input field isinserted in the second column described using the xsl:variables definedin lines 33 through 47.

FIG. 6D is a block diagram illustrating the arrangement of inputelements on a web page presented by a web designer's browser based onthe HTML produced by the XSLT statements of Table 4. The HTML documentproduced by the code represents a web page 690 for customizing thediscussionforum component. This HTML document is produced using the XSLTstatements of Table 4 and is sent to the designer's browser by the website building wizard process when the wizard receives a request from thedesigner's browser to customize the discussionforum component.

The items displayed on the web page 690 include the HTML form 691 forreceiving the web designer's input for customizing the discussionforumcomponent. The XSLT statements of Table 4 assemble on the form 691 atable with a row for each input element within the custom element forthe XML document representing the discussionforum component, such as theXML document listed in Table 2. That XML document lists six inputelements: one text input element, three radio buttons, a submit button,and a reset button. The XSLT statements direct a translator to first putthe text and radio buttons into the table on the HTML form 691, then thereset and submit buttons. According to these instructions, the label 692for the text input element is placed into the first column of the firstrow of the table in the HTML form 691. The text input box 693 is placedin the second column of the same row. The first radio button 694 a andits label 695 a are placed into the first column of the next row andnothing is placed in the second column. The first radio button ischecked, as indicated by the dark circle inside the button 694 a. Thesecond radio button 694 b and its label 695 b are placed into the firstcolumn of the next row. The third radio button 694 c and its label 695 care placed into the first column of the next row.

After all the other input elements have been placed into a table on theform 691, the submit button 696 and the reset button 697 are added.

With this form 691 displayed by the web designer's browser, the webdesigner can change the value in text box 693 by selecting the box andkeying in new text, for example. The user can also select a differentradio button, which automatically deselects button 694 a. For example,to sort the discussionforum by last response date instead of by thecreation date, the user places a cursor over button 694 c with apointing device and clicks the pointing device.

When all changes are made the user selects the submit button 696(labeled with the value “OK”). Upon clicking the submit button,following the HTML code inserted on the form by line 82 of the XSLTstatements in Table 4, the designer's browser calls the “formSubmit( )”method. This method is found in the Javascript inserted into this HTMLpage by the XSLT statements in lines 8 through 14 of Table 4. Thisscript obtains values for the site identification and occurrence of thepresent form and loads those values into the HTML hidden variables(p_site_id and p_occurrence) then calls the HTML submit methodassociated with this form. The HTML submit method was specified in theHTML statements inserted into the HTML page by the XSLT statements inlines 16, 17, 19 and 20. The designer's browser passes the designer'sinput along with the values of the p_site_id and p_occurrence hiddenvariables to the procedure “dca.dca_forum_data.set_args” using the POSTmethod. In this embodiment, the procedure set_args is a method in anobject called “dca_forum_data” residing in the package called “dca.” Asexplained above, in this embodiment, the dca package is a PL/SQLpackage. The set_args procedure creates an XML element called “item” forthe customer site XML file following the DTD for a site-templatedocument. For example, if the designer typed “ALL” into input text box693 then pressed the OK button 696, the set_args procedure wouldgenerate the XML statements constituting the arguments element found inTable 3 in lines 50 through 55.

Upon selecting the reset button, the input fields in form 691 arecleared. The designer's browser again displays the arrangement depictedin FIG. 6D.

The XSLT statements shown in Table 4 do not place a title or any othercomponents on the web page 690. In other embodiments a title ordescription of the page or other displayed matter or some combination ofthese are inserted into the HTML document by the XSLT statements. Forexample, in one embodiment XSLT statements are included that insert acall to a procedure to place the discussionforum component on the webpage 690. In this embodiment a discussionforum component 698 a isincluded on the web page 690. This discussionforum 698 a includes a textfield 698 f giving a discussion topic, a selection box 698 g forselecting one of a list of some messages sorted by creation date, a textbox 698 b giving the full text of the selected message, an input textbox 698 c for typing a message for posting on the discussionforum, aclear button 698 e to clear the text typed into the input box 698 c, anda post button 698 d to send the message to the forum for retrieval byother participants. In some embodiments the displayed component 698 a issimply rendered for viewing by the designer but is not functional, e.g.,nothing happens when the post button 698 d is pressed. In otherembodiments, the displayed component functions as it will when the website is actually built.

Also, in some other embodiments, HTML statements are inserted to createone or more forms to prompt the web site designer for other informationto include in the XML elements of the customer site XML document, suchas information to identify authorized users and their passwords. Uponpressing the OK button on these forms, a procedure is called that addsarguments to the customer site XML document for passing this informationto the affected component.

6.8 Example Modification of a Template

The initial or modified template is displayed on the designer's browserby employing XSLT statements to convert the XML elements used in thetemplate file to HTML statements. FIG. 6E is a block diagramillustrating an example arrangement of folders and components on a webpage 674 for designing a web site by a designer using the wizard. In thefollowing discussion, actions associated with user interaction with theweb page 674 are understood to be the result of employing XSLTstatements to insert HTML statements in the HTML document that enablethe described actions. When a user is said to press a button displayedon the web page it is understood that the user employs a pointing deviceto place a cursor over the displayed button and clicks a buttonassociated with the pointing device. The enabled actions provide thecontrols for the designer to provide input to the web site buildingwizard.

The templates available for modification are presented in template listbox 675 a. For example, the template for a corporate web site isindicated by list item 675 b with the phrase “Corporate T” where the “T”signifies a template. Similarly the retailer site template is indicatedby list item 675 e as “Retailer T” and the social center site templateis indicated by list item 675 f as “Social Center T.” The folders andcomponents on a template can be revealed in list box 675 a in thisembodiment by pointing to a listed item with a pointing device andclicking a button associated with the pointing device. For example, ifthe designer pointed to the corporate site template and clicked abutton, the main folders in the corporate site are listed below thecorporate site template item and are indented. This is shown in listitem 675 b indicating a marketing folder by the phrase “Marketing F”where the “F” signifies a folder, and in list item 675 c indicating asales folder.

The current contents of the customer web site are presented in thecustomer site list box 676 a. For example, if the designer selects thesocial center site template 675 f in the template list box 675 a andthen presses the import template button 677 a, represented here by thesymbol “>>”, the folders and the components of that template are placedin the customer site list box 676 a. For this example, the contents ofthe community template described by the XML statements in Table 3 areused as the contents of the social center site template. In otherembodiments more of the folders and components listed in section 6.5.3above for a social center site are included. The root folder of thecommunity site template is the site home page folder, represented aslist item 676 b by the phrase “Site Home F.” This folder contains a newscomponent represented as list item 676 c by the phrase “News C” where“C” signifies component. List item 676 c is indented and below list item676 b to indicate list item 676 c is a hierarchical child of list item676 b. The root folder also includes a discussionforum componentrepresented as list item 676 d, a manage components folder representedby list item 676 e, a news folder represented by list item 676 f and adiscussion folder represented by list item 676 g. The discussion folderincludes another discussion component represented by the indented listitem 676 h.

The hierarchical arrangement of the folders in the customer web site ismodified using the web page controls provided by arrow buttons 677 d,677 e, 677 f and 677 g. The up and down arrow buttons 677 f and 677 gchange the order of the components and folders in the customer site listbox by moving a selected list item in the direction of the arrow. Theleft arrow button 677 e raises the level of the list item in thehierarchy toward the root level as signified by decreasing theindentation of the selected list item. The right arrow button 677 dpushes the selected list item to a deeper level of the hierarchy,further from the root level, as signified by increasing the indentationof the selected list item. The selected item becomes of direct child ofthe closest list item above it that is less indented.

For example, the discussion component represented by list item 676 d canbe made part of the discussion folder represented by list item 676 g.The designer selects the discussion component by pointing to list item676 d and clicking on it. Then the designer presses the down arrowbutton 677 g three times to move the selected list item 676 d below listitem 676 g. Then the designer presses the right arrow button 677 d toindent the selected list item 676 d and make it a child of thediscussion folder, list item 676 g.

To add a single folder or component to the customer site list box, thedesigner selects the folder or component on the template list box or thecustomer site list box and then presses the add button 677 b, hereindicated by a plus sign. The component is inserted as a new list itemin the customer site list box 676 a. The designer then positions the newlist item in the hierarchy of folders using one or more of the arrowbuttons 677 d, 677 e, 677 f, 677 g. To delete a single component orfolder from the customer site list box 676 a, the designer selects thefolder or component in the customer site list box and then presses theremove button 677 c, here indicated by the symbol “X”. The selected listitem and its children, if any, are removed from the customer site listbox 676 a.

If a desired template is not listed in the template list box 675 a, thenthe designer may search for other templates by selecting a portion ofthe template list box 675 a without a list item and then pressing theimport templates button 677 a. The user is then presented with a dialogbox to search other directories, such as the Community Server directory,for additional templates. In one embodiment, the user may select anexisting web site by its URL address and have the wizard generate atemplate based on the existing web site, as described in more detail inthe next section.

In this embodiment, the web page 674 also includes a navigation frame678 a. The navigation frame is used to move from one web page to anotherin the series of web pages that are used by the wizard. The navigationframe includes a description text box 678 b describing the current webpage. For example, the description text box 678 b contains the phrase“Customize template on this page” when the template modification webpage 674 is displayed. This navigation frame includes four buttons 678c, 678 d, 678 e, 678 f allowing the designer to return to the previousweb page, to advance to the next web page, to finish the design session,and to cancel the design session, respectively.

When the “Next” button 678 d is pressed, the designer is presented witha new page or series of pages, which give the designer the option tocustomize any of the components included among the list items in thecustomer site list box 676 a. FIG. 6D illustrates an example page forcustomizing a discussionforum component. In an alternative embodiment,the designer is presented with the customization page if the designerdouble clicks on the list item representing the component. For example,the page depicted in FIG. 6D is provided if the designer double clickson list item 676 d. If the designer clicks on list item 676 h, a similarpage would be provided, except the text box 693 in FIG. 6 contains thevalue “ALL” because the component is stored in the template (see Table 3line 84) with an argument indicating “ALL” is the initial value.

When the “Finish” button 678 e is pressed, the contents of the customersite list box are stored in a customer site XML file using thesite-template XML elements. Customized parameters for all includedcomponents as stored within argument value XML elements.

6.9 Deriving a Template from Existing Web Site

The database wizard comes with templates already installed. As describedabove in step 687, the appliance owner can customize individualcomponents and edit the templates to generate new templates. Accordingto one embodiment, a template, for example as represented by an XMLfile, is derived from an existing web site. The web site could have beenbuilt by a programmer operating the database web site builder withoutbenefit of a wizard. Using this embodiment, an XML file describing atemplate is derived from the Web page presented to the visitor'sbrowser. For example, if a web site has been produced by WebDB using aPL/SQL procedure call that creates a dynamic HTML page which invokes aJava applet, then the parameters of the Java applet can be obtained fromthe PL/SQL procedure. Those parameters can be retrieved by the wizardand made available for customization by the user operating the wizard.Components that refer to resources hosted on a remote machine, forexample, are represented by a URL address. In some circumstances, acomponent from an existing web site does not have an XML documentdescribing its parameters, so that such a component cannot becustomized.

In another embodiment, the DotCom appliance obtains updates anddirectory services from the community server 390. The community serverprovides a directory of DotCom appliances, a directory of DotComappliance templates, software upgrades and patches, payment services forcredit card payment processing, and hosting applications to supportcomponents used by the DotCom appliance.

6.10 Creating the Web Site from the Modified Template

The customer site XML file is used to generate the web site. In thepreferred embodiment, the HTML statements that render each component andprocedures that provide functionality for the component are stored in aWebDB database and implemented by WebDB upon requests from a visitor'sbrowser for a web page at the web site. In one embodiment, someprocedures are executed by a DotCom appliance or other remote deviceoutside WebDB. In this case, the WebDB database stores a reference tothe procedure that resides on the DotCom appliance or the remote device.

For example, if the XML statements in Table 3 represent the customersite XML file after modifications, then a web site is built using WebDBbased on the information in Table 3 and in Table 2. WebDB storesinformation for forming web pages in a database and constructs the pagesin response to receiving a request from a visitor's browser for thepage, identified by its URL.

WebDB expects a web site designer to upload content and procedures usingan hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), that is WebDb expects requests asa URL with parameters attached, and WebDB responds to those requestswith HTML pages. WebDB organizes web site content into a series offolders that represent pages and items that represent components.However, WebDB does not provide the full set of components provided bythe wizard nor templates of folders associated with a category ofactivities as provided by the wizard.

In one embodiment, the wizard sends HTTP requests to a WebDB server,intercepts the responses and, without presenting the WebDB HTMLdocuments to the designer, inputs text into the forms and follows thesubmit methods automatically, based on the information in the XMLdocuments.

In the preferred embodiment, the web site building wizard uses thePL/SQL procedures that the WebDB server uses to populate the databasethat supports the web pages of a web site. The wizard uses the WebDBPL/SQL routines to open an account on the database server for the website designer, create database objects such as tables, indexes, views,synonyms, and stored procedures for storing and retrieving theproperties of the folders, items and components in the XML documents.The wizard then uses the PL/SQL routines to load the information fromthe XML documents into those tables, including the name of proceduresfor providing component functionality and the source of the arguments topass when invoking the procedure.

For example, the wizard uses the WebDB PL/SQL routines to create acomponents table having fields that include name, title, run service,and admin service and an arguments table having fields that include acomponent name field, an argument position field and an argument valuefield. The wizard then loads values into the components table into a rowcorresponding to a particular discussionforum component based oninformation in the XML documents provided to the wizard by the sitedesigner. The row in the components table after loading is shown inTable 5.

TABLE 5 Example values loaded into a component table by the sitebuilding wizard. component name component title component run servicecomponent admin service discussionforum-12 Land Use Zoningdca.dca_forum_main. dca.dca_forum_main. Discussionforum forumQueryPageforumAdminPage

The wizard loads values into the corresponding rows of the argumentstable, as shown in Table 6.

TABLE 6 Example values loaded into an arguments table by the sitebuilding wizard. component name argument position argument valuediscussionforum-12 1 dca discussionforum-12 2 us discussionforum-12 3createdate discussionforum-12 4 ALL

After the folders and items are loaded, a visitor may request a folderby its URL; and WebDB assembles the components into an HTML document,launching any procedures required to generate the component's HTML withthe associated argument values (whether stored or based on visitorinput). Child folders are included as links. Image files are retrievedbased on their URL address rather than being stored in the WebDBdatabase. The procedure launched may be a stored procedure within thedatabase or may be a remote procedure which has its URL stored in theWebDB database. If this reference is to a stored procedure, then thestored procedure would be run with the parameters listed in thearguments table. A stored procedure may be a PL/SQL procedure thatcreates or uses a database object, such as a procedure to query adatabase of products in the inventory of a retailer. If this is areference to a remote resource, then a request to the URL of the remoteresource would be made with the associated arguments in Table 6.

For example, if a visitor to the home page selects a link to thediscussionforum page, then WebDB will construct the HTML document tosend as a response based on the components on the page. To construct thediscussionforum component on the discussionforum page, the component isfound in Table 5 and the component run service is invoked. This servicereferences a PL/SQL package that resides on the DotCom appliance. Inthis case WebDB sends the arguments in Table 6 associated with thisparticular component to the DotCom appliance. The called procedureperforms the functions and generates the result, if any, in an HTMLdocument for display by the visitor's browser.

WebDB determines whether the visitor has the privileges required toperform the requested action. For example, if the visitor requesting thediscussionforum component has administrator privileges, then WebDBlaunches the procedure stored in the admin service field of thecomponents table rather than the procedure in the run service field. Ifnot, then the procedure in the run service field is launched. In thisway different visitors may access different capabilities. This processallows the site administrator to perform special functions after thesite becomes operational. The extra functions offered by the adminservice may include changing the users allowed to access thediscussionforum, changing the configuration of the discussionforum,editing messages, entering a message, uploading a stored message anddownloading a message to storage. These functions are offered to theadministrator in an HTML form not available to less privileged visitorsto the web site.

7.0 Automatic Configuration of a Database Application

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for a process that includes automaticallyinstalling and configuring a database application according to anembodiment of the disclosed techniques. This process begins with step575 in which the subscriber's home page is presented to the user. One ofthe selectable actions presented on the home page is to license anapplication, such as a database application, as an additional subscribedservice. Other features on the home page, such as system status, alertsand other actions on the list of selectable actions, support otherself-service functions as described in other sections.

In response to the customer selecting the action to license a databaseapplication, control passes to step 710 to obtain a list of databaseapplications available through an application server. In thisembodiment, the community server is the application server. In anotherembodiment, a separate database appliance is the application server. Instill other embodiments, the application server is neither the communityserver nor an application server appliance.

In step 720, the customer is presented with a list of selectableapplications and licensing costs. The list depends on what is availablethrough the application server and which of those the customer mighthave previously contracted for, for example through the communityserver, or the service provider, or some other source of theapplication. In step 720, the customer chooses one of thoseapplications. The customer is then returned to the customer home pagepresented in step 575.

In step 730, based on the customer selection, the IDSP identifies thededicated or virtual database appliance for which the customer hassubscribed that will host the selected application and issuesinstructions that cause the hosting appliance to install and configurethe chosen application.

Steps 735 through 760 are carried out by the database appliance toautomatically install and configure the application from the applicationserver or other source of the application, and constitute an embodiment430′ of step 430 depicted in FIG. 4.

In step 735 the database appliance requests the application from theapplication server, in this case the community server 390. In therequest, the database appliance reports to the community server theresources available on the appliance for supporting the application.These resources include consumable resources such as storage space,number of users licensed, CPU capacity and maximum transaction rate.These resources also include the type appliance requesting theapplication and the applications already installed on the appliance.Based on this report, a set of custom values are determined for one ormore configuration parameters of the database application by thecommunity server and sent to the database appliance. Configurationparameters that may have initial values determined in this way includethe size of a shared global area (SGA) for the application, a size for aprivate cache memory, a size for a tablespace, and a size of a datablock. In some embodiments, the information sent includes information,such as a network address, identifying a second server that is distinctfrom the application server and from which the application is actuallydownloaded.

In some embodiments, the information sent is in the form of an XMLdocument internally identifying the configuration parameter by a nameand value. In one of these embodiments the XML document includesdescriptions of other steps involved in the installation process. TheXML document is one type of data structure holding data indicating oneor more steps for installing the application on the computing device. Inone example embodiment, the XML document includes instructions forsetting up a directory to store the application and its associated filesand registering the installation with a software update service.

In step 740, according to one embodiment, the database appliancedownloads the application from the community server and installs theapplication received using the initial custom values received from thecommunity server. In this way, the database device receives instructionsfor causing a processor on the computing device to perform one or morefunctions of the application. The initial custom values are based on theconsumable resources on the appliance reported by the appliance to theserver. For example, based on the available memory of the appliance andthe size of the database being operated by the application, thecommunity server will set a value for the configuration parameterspecifying the SGA for the application, and the appliance initially usesthis value. In some embodiments the database appliance downloads theapplication from the second server and installs the application receivedusing the initial custom values received from the application server.

In some embodiments, in response to receiving the data structure, thedevice automatically performs the step of installing the application onthe computer device based on the data in the data structure. Forexample, in response to receiving the XML document describing theconfiguration parameters, and the directory to form, and theregistration procedure, the XML elements are automatically translated tocommands to cause a processor to perform the described steps in theorder specified, such as with an XSLT document.

In step 750, logs of actual use of appliance resources are monitored.The value of the configuration parameters are then tuned and adjustedbased on the logs of actual use, in step 760. Steps 750 and 760 arerepeated periodically.

These techniques allow the advantage of removing the responsibility ofsetting configuration parameters from a human user and therebyincreasing both the simplicity and the reliability of operating thedatabase application.

In another embodiment, step 735 is initiated directly by a databaseadministrator for the IDSP system in order to install a new applicationto the system, such as a database application for tracking customerusage and generating invoices.

8.0 Self Service Database Content Supply

FIG. 8 is a flowchart for automatically supplying content for a databasecontrolled by an IDSP, according to an embodiment of the disclosedtechniques. Starting from the customer's home page in step 757, controlpasses to step 810 in response to the customer selecting automaticcontent supply. In step 810, the self-service database provisioningprocess launches the automatic content supply process.

In step 820, the customer is presented a list of selectable sources forcontent to place into the customer's databases. The customer indicates asource of database content. In step 830, the customer selects the dataitems available from that source which the customer wants inserted intoone or more of the databases. Examples of such sources are news feedsavailable over the Internet. Optionally, the customer also specifies aschedule for updating the customer's databases with information from theselected sources. In step 840, the process identifies one or moredatabases to receive the items selected from the selected sources.

In step 850, the process creates a database to receive the selecteditems from the selected sources if the database is not identified instep 840 or if the identified databases do not already exist on thesystem. The customer is then presented with the customer's home page instep 575, while, in the background, step 860 is executed. Step 860updates the identified, or newly created, database with the selecteditems from the selected sources according to a default schedule or theupdate schedule input by the customer, if that was done in step 830.

9.0 Self-Service Development of New Applications

An important purpose of the IDSP system is to enable small andmedium-sized enterprises to use databases as quickly and inexpensivelyas possible. However, some customers of the IDSP will be power usersfully capable of developing their own database applications. The IDSPmust support these power users as well. FIG. 9 is a flowchart fordeveloping new database applications using tools provided by the IDSPaccording to an embodiment of the disclosed techniques.

In step 575, the customer is presented with the customer's home pageincluding a selectable item representing developing a new databaseapplication. In step 910, in response to the customer selecting the itemrepresenting the development of a new application, the process launchesthe new database application development process. In 920, the customeris presented with the list of selectable development kits, which aredifferent systems known in the art for developing database applications.Not all the development kits available can be operated over the Internetby a browser from the customer's platform communicating with adevelopment kit server on the IDSP platform. For example, to useJDeveloper to develop a database application requires that the customerrun a client process called the JDeveloper thin client, communicatingthrough a SQL*Net port on the server. If the connection is a VPN, thecustomer could access the database being developed by a SQL*Net and usestandard development tools such as JDeveloper or SQLPlus on thecustomer's platform. If the customer does not own a client processrequired by the database development kit, then the self-service databaseprovisioning process assists the customer in obtaining the clientprocess in step 920. This assistance takes the form of downloading thesoftware for the client process for certain development kits. But if theIDSP system is not licensed to distribute the client process, theassistance takes the form of a link to the web site from which theclient process software can be purchased and downloaded.

The new application is developed in the staging area of the IDSP system,i.e. on one or more staging database devices. In step 930, the processconfigures space and other consumable resources on a staging databaseappliance, either a virtual appliance or a dedicated appliance. In thisembodiment, the staging area is a separate appliance inside the firewallwith a synchronization service to the production area. The staging areaallows the customer to test new applications before going live in theproduction environment. The staging area is managed the same way as theproduction area, but may be subject to different pricing rules. Thecustomer is able to define specific storage, CPU requirements, andnumber of users when developing applications in the staging area.

In step 940, the new application is developed in this staging applianceand staging area based on the development kit and customer input to theclient process of the development kit. Customer access to theself-service database provisioning process is then passed back to thecustomer's home page in step 575.

From the customer's home page, the customer can return to step 910 inthe new application development process. The customer can select anoption to push the new application or update from the staging area tothe production area. The customer selects the application that needs tobe transferred and clicks on a submit icon, for example. The system thenconfigures space and other needed resources on a production appliance,in step 950, and transfers all objects related to the application, aslisted in the application profile, to the production area. In someembodiments, this transfer involves a human in the loop by sending arequest to the database administrator to transfer the application fromthe staging area to the production area. The customer is then returnedto the customer's home page in step 575.

10. Secondary Users, Roles and Privileges

The database services procured from the IDSP by a customer may in turnbe conveyed to secondary users defined by the customer. The secondaryusers may include employees of the enterprise that is the customer,affiliates of the customer, client or customers of the customer, orcontractors working for the customer. These different secondary userswill be granted different privileges by the customer depending upontheir relationship with the customer. For example, the customer may be aretailer who wishes to allow the public to access databases about thecustomer's products but wants to confine access to a database about theretailer's employees to a few members of its human resources department.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart for accessing a database on a database servicesprovider according to an embodiment of the disclosed techniques. Atfirst, only the customer has access to the databases created by thecustomer or subscribed to by the customer. In this sense, the customeris the agent of the enterprise that has subscribed to the servicesavailable from the IDSP and has provided the payment information. Instep 1010, in response to the customer selecting database access, adatabase login process is launched. In this embodiment, the databaselogin process is initiated by the self-service database provisioningprocess which presents to the customer in step 1020 a list of thedatabases to which that customer has access. The customer will haveaccess to the databases that the customer has created as well asdatabases to which the customer has subscribed, such as a syndicateddatabase created or licensed by the service provider. The customer thenselects one of the selectable databases. In this embodiment, thecustomer requests for database functions related to the database beingaccessed are handled by the database appliance on which the selecteddatabase resides.

Once the customer has access to the database, the customer can performordinary database functions well known in the art. One of thesefunctions, performed in step 1030, is to define roles for the varioususers that will be granted access. The roles may include a databasedeveloper, database administrator, public user, a member of humanresources department, etc. The database administrator then assignsprivileges to those roles. The customer with current access must beconsidered the database administrator in the beginning. In step 1040, auser designated the database administrator can create, modify, anddelete secondary users and assigns roles to them with the associatedprivileges. A user is typically identified by a user ID and may berequired to provide a password to gain access to the database.

After the secondary users have been defined with their IDs, passwords,roles and privileges, the secondary users can gain access to at leastportions of the database. It is possible for a secondary user to bedenied access to the customer's home page 575 and still be given accessto a database. One way this is accomplished is by the customer using oneof the self-service database provisioning tools to generate a web siteto which any user, including a public user, can connect. If the customerhas placed a database access component on that Web page, then the publicuser can log into that Web page in step 1005. Upon successful login instep 1005, the secondary or public user is presented with a list ofselectable databases in step 1020. In this manner, a secondary or publicuser can access a database according to the privileges assigned to therole that secondary user holds.

Once granted database access, the customer or secondary user cangenerate or download reports of database usage, if the user's privilegesso permit, in step 1060. In step 1070 a secondary user, or customer, candownload standard reports generated automatically by the IDSP system.Depending on privileges, in step 1050, the customer or secondary usercan upload data or procedures into the database, or download data orprocedures from the database.

11.0 Integrating External Services

Some services desired by a customer of an IDSP may not actually executeon the database devices of the IDSP system. Such services, bydefinition, are external services to the IDSP system. The IDSP system isdesigned to make the external services available to the customer throughthe self-service database provisioning process. Interfaces are builtinto the self-service database provisioning process to pass informationto the external services required by those external services and toreceive the output generated by those external services. FIG. 11 is aflowchart for integrating external services on a database servicesprovider according to an embodiment of the disclosed techniques.

In step 1110, the customer is given access to enterprise resourceplanning (ERP) applications or customer relationship management (CRM)applications run outside the IDSP system. In step 1120, paymentservices, such as those provided by a credit card server, are accessedby passing to them the information they need and storing the informationreturned in one of the database devices of the IDSP system.

Similarly, in step 1130, the self-service database provisioning processsends information over the Internet to a server that provides mobileInternet access, called herein a “Portal-to-go,” and stores informationreturned from the Portal-to-go in a database of the IDSP system.

12.0 Platform-Owner Database Provisioning

The preceding sections describe the database services available tocustomers through the self-service database provisioning process. Thoseservices are provided on a bank of database devices, such as databaseappliances, managed by the IDSP platform. The equipment and softwareavailable in the IDSP system are shared by multiple customers accordingto the resources those customers have subscribed to. It is the job ofthe service provider, i.e. the IDSP platform owner, to ensure thatsufficient database resources are available in the IDSP system to meetthe needs of the multiple customers. The tools available for managingthe database devices are accessed by the platform owner through the IDSPprovisioning process and are described in the following sections.

12.1 Automatic Discovery & Registration of a New Database Appliance

Regardless of whether a database system is part of an IDSP systemmanaged by an IDSP or is part of a private database system managed by anenterprise, the database owner usually reaches a point in which thecapacity of the database system must be expanded. In conventionaldatabase systems, expanding the capacity of the database system is achore that required a high degree of expertise and a substantialinvestment of time.

According to one embodiment, the capacity of a database system isexpanded by connecting additional database devices, such as additionaldatabase server appliances or off-host storage appliances or both.Further, techniques are provided for much of the initial configurationof the new devices to be performed automatically, thereby significantlydecreasing the time and expertise required to increase the capacity of adatabase system.

FIG. 12A is a block diagram of a system that performs automaticdiscovery and management of a new database appliance connected to anetwork, such as the IDSP system.

Networks 1220 typically run a dynamic host control program (DHCP) 1265on a DHCP server 1260 to dynamically configure the network settings ofcomputer systems connected to a network. It is the responsibility of theDHCP to assign network addresses to the devices that comprise a network.When a device is connected to the network 1220, it contacts the DHCP andis assigned a network address, e.g., an IP address. All message trafficdirected to that IP address is resolved by checking with the DHCP todetermine the location of the physical device having that address.

In the system shown in 12A, a database appliance is managed on a networkthat includes a DHCP server 1260, a directory server 1270, a backupserver 1280 and a management services server 1210. In the embodimentdepicted, each of these servers executes in a different device on thenetwork. In other embodiments several or all of these servers reside ona single device on the network.

The directory server 1270 communicates with database appliances using aprotocol, such as a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP), andmaintains a repository of database appliance names and addresses on thenetwork.

The backup server 1280, such as a backup catalog server, provides backupfor critical information that is stored in the local network 1220. Thisinformation about software installed on the appliances and configurationparameters is used to replace or reboot an appliance that has failed orbeen disconnected from the network. The management services server 1210ensures that all management activities required to maintain a databaseare distributed among the database appliances available on the network.

When a new appliance is added to the network, its address should beadded to the directory server, information about its configurationshould be added to the backup server, and the installed applications andconsumable resources of the appliance should be made available to themanagement services server 1210. With conventional database appliances,a human operator must recognize when a new appliance 1250 has beenconnected to the network 1220 and must register that new appliance withthe management services server 1210. The registration process includesthe database appliance in the list of available appliances and makesavailable to the management services server the installed applicationsand consumable resources of the appliance. Then the human operatorchooses management tasks that the new appliance should perform. Themanagement tasks include jobs such as backing up the files, clearing outlogs, monitoring space usage, creating an index, and synchronizingcontent with another database, among many others known to those in theart. The management tasks also include events that trigger a responsefrom the new appliance. For example, space usage reaching a thresholdamount constitutes an event that triggers an alert being sent to a userof the database device. The management tasks also include patches to thesoftware that was originally installed in the new appliance at thefactory.

According to a modified operation for adding new appliances, when a newappliance 1250 is added to a network 1220, the management servicesserver 1210 automatically registers the new appliance and assignsmanagement tasks to the appliance. According to one embodiment,installation of a new appliance involves a new communication process1255 on the new appliance 1250, a revised procedure for the dynamic hostcontrol program 1265, and a revised process 1215 for sending software,configuration, and management tasks to the new appliance 1250. The newor modified participants in this operation are enclosed in item 485 inFIG. 12A.

FIG. 12B is a flowchart of a process for automatic discovery andmanagement of a new database appliance connected to a network accordingto these modified techniques. In step 1291, the new database applianceis attached to a local network. The new appliance 1250 reads the IPaddress of the DHCP server from a computer readable medium when the newappliance boots up. In step 1293, as part of process 1255, the newappliance requests information from the DHCP on the DHCP server.

In step 1295, performed by the DHCP 1265, in response to the requestfrom the new appliance, the DHCP sends to the new appliance the IPaddress assigned to the new appliance and the database name for thedatabase established on the new appliance. These steps constituteautomatic discovery of a new database appliance. No human interventionis required for the new appliance to discover its IP address.

Step 1295 includes sending a message that identifies the managementservices server from the DHCP to the new appliance. The message mayinclude, for example, the network name of the management servicesserver. According to one embodiment, the DHCP also sends someconfiguration information for the new appliance, the network name of thedirectory server, and the network name of the backup server. In someembodiments, the network name is a URL address.

The DHCP may also send an indication of a language to be installed onthe new appliance in order to process requests over the network fordatabase services on the new appliance. In one embodiment the languageis specified using the national language standards for naming charactersets on the Internet. For example, the DHCP may send data indicatingthat the database must support an American English 8-bit character setdesignated International Standardization Organization standard ISO 8859,or a character set in the Unicode 16 bit character set designated ISO10464-UCS-2, or a Japanese character set in the Unicode 31 bit characterset designated ISO 10464-UCS-4.

Based on the response sent from the DHCP in step 1295, the new appliancesends a registration request to the management services server in step1297. The registration request sent to the management services serverincludes data that identifies the new appliance, such as the IP addressof the new appliance.

In step 1299, in response to the registration request, the managementservices server registers the new appliance as a managed node and sendsto the new appliance software updates, configuration information, andmanagement tasks. According to this embodiment, the management tasks aredatabase procedures that have been stored in the management servicesserver. Also stored are data indicating a particular combination ofmanagement tasks associated with each type of database appliance. When anew appliance is automatically discovered and registered, these dataindicating the particular combination of tasks, and, in someembodiments, the corresponding procedures are automatically transmittedto the new appliance over the network.

According to this embodiment, the IDSP system employs automaticdiscovery and registration of new database appliances.

12.2 Communication with Community Server

FIG. 13 is a block diagram of other database services for a platformowner available to the database services provider according to anembodiment. The backend database services 1310 are standard databaseadministrator functions that are performed routinely by the platformowner and are described in more detail later with respect to FIG. 14.

Process 1315 allows the platform owner to communicate with the communityserver for updates and new applications. The IDSP platform handlesupgrades automatically as they become available from the vendor. Theseupdates and upgrades are for the IDSP platform itself as well as for anyappliances or other database devices attached to the IDSP platform. Theupgrades are performed through the community server as with the upgradesof any individual database appliance. The service provider will initiatethe process by requesting or approving the upgrades.

The duties of managing a network of database appliances include dynamichost control, management services, directory services, and backupservices. These duties can be split between the IDSP and the communityserver in any combination that achieves reasonable performance. In oneembodiment, all these duties are performed by the IDSP platform 332. Inan alternative embodiment, all these duties are performed by thecommunity server 390. In other embodiments, the community serverperforms some of these duties. The communications between the IDSPplatform and the community server depends on the distribution of theseduties.

12.3 Monitoring Appliances

Process 1320 is used to monitor appliances and other database devicesthrough the display on the IDSP console (item 334 in FIG. 3A). In thisembodiment the monitoring is done using a Java applet that runs on theconsole. This is an advantage because the same Java applet can be runfrom a browser, and that allows the platform owner to monitor theappliances over the Internet, or other network, when the platform owneris separated from the IDSP site. Although a Java applet is used in thisembodiment, any script or process known in the art can be used forcommunicating between a remote terminal and the IDSP platform ordatabase devices. The console will have a form-based interface as wellas a Web-based interface, so that all operations can be handledremotely. It is expected that the console will be adapted from anenterprise manager appliance pack available for the database appliances.

In some embodiments, the console provides a simple screen showing allappliances attached to the IDSP platform. The console provides a livereport of the storage and CPU usage. Information is shown in a boxindicating the appliance name and reference number, and showing agreen/yellow/red light for status. Based on the limits established bythe service provider or the customer, the system indicator will turnyellow when usage is getting close to the limit subscribed to, asindicated by exceeding the threshold percentage of the maximum usage.The system indicator will turn red once the limit has been reached. Thelimit is the maximum amount of a consumable resource for which acustomer has subscribed. If the database administrator double-clicks onany of the appliance icons, the system shows the detailed status for theparticular appliance.

Excess loads that turn the indicator yellow or red may be due to peaks,or a temporary or steady growth in the use of the application. To handleboth situations, the service provider can offer additional temporary orpermanent resources with separate pricing. The system will track theresponse that has been selected by the customer for dealing with theexcess loads. Using the self-service registration maintenance process,the customer can easily and quickly subscribe for additional databaseresources to handle the growth in the load.

12.4 Automatic Pricing

Automatic pricing and billing are available through the costing modeland associated database, process 1330. Conventional pricing models forservice providers are typically quite simple, combining access andcertain levels of services packaged together into a flat monthly fee.Process 1330 provides better system and cost tracking that enables theservice provider to fine-tune the pricing models. The IDSP provides thenecessary level of detail on usage. The pricing models supportssyndication. The IDSP platform tracks the costs of licenses in theoverall system usage including all appliances connected to the platform.This information and estimate of the operating cost is available to theservices provider. This allows the service provider to easily track thecosts against the revenues generated. The IDSP platform generates asimple report presenting the costs and revenues per customer and for theoverall system.

The IDSP platform catches all necessary information for billing purposesand stores that information in a billing database. The IDSP uses thisinformation and the pricing rules in the pricing model to compute anamount to be billed to the customer. This information is sent to anexternal billing system for online billing and payment. In analternative embodiment, the online billing system and the payment systemare hosted on the IDSP platform. The platform owner is presented withseveral built-in pricing models, including billing the customer perdatabase usage, billing per transaction and billing a flat fee.Different prices may be established for different customers or users.Different prices may be established for different services. When billingfor database usage, the customer is charged based on the usage of thedatabase including storage space, CPU time, and number of usersaccessing the system. The price may be fixed of variable depending onusage. When billing per transaction, the customer is charged based onthe number of changes to a database including news updates. When billinga flat fee, the customer is charged a given amount for usage withinpredefined limits by fewer than a maximum number of users. When thepredefined limits are exceeded, a different price is may be applied foreach increment of usage.

Because the services provider may offer other services in addition tothe database services, the system is configurable to send or receiveinformation to another system, such as an external billing system, sothat the customer receives only a single bill. The customer can alsosubscribe to the pricing model and billing engine used by the IDSPplatform in order to compute bills for secondary users. This pricingmodel and billing engine are also used to compute the price presented tothe customer when the customer selects the services to subscribe to.

From the customer requirements for storage, CPU and number of users inthe staging area, the system also generates the appropriate pricing.Custom pricing is generated for the staging area from rules defined bythe service provider. The standard or default pricing rules are based onmegabytes (MB) of storage and minutes of CPU and number of users. Asmore usage data becomes available, the system may use more sophisticatedpricing rules. In one embodiment, the costing model supports fixed priceper unit of usage; variable price per unit usage as a function of usage;flat price up to a maximum value of usage; different prices fordifferent users; different prices for different services; and differentprices for increments of usage above a maximum subscribed usage.

12.5 Other Platform Owner Processes

In process 1340, the platform owner can build a multi-userorganizational data warehouse that can be accessed by several customersthat cannot be produced by any one of them alone. Similarly, process1350 allows the platform owner to build a syndicated database to whichany user can subscribe for a fee.

Process 1360 allows the platform owner to configure any appliance as adedicated appliance or a plurality of virtual appliances as describedearlier. Process 1360 also allows the platform owner to configure avirtual or dedicated appliance as a staging area appliance or aproduction area appliance. Process 1380, allows the platform owner toparticipate in the transfer of new and updated applications from thestaging area to the production area. Through this process, the platformowner also adds or drops appliances, and changes the management tasksassigned to each.

Process 1370 allows the platform owner to configure connections todatabase resources as either open Internet connections or virtualprivate network connections.

Process 1390 allows the platform owner to manage customers, includingadding and deleting customers, monitoring usage by customers, andreporting usage to customers.

12.6 Backend Database Processes

FIG. 14 is a block diagram of the backend database services available tothe database services provider according to an embodiment of thedisclosed techniques. These processes are largely routine or automaticor both.

Process 1410 generates standard reports on the usage of the database.These reports allow the services provider to determine the databaseresources available for subscription. These reports can be used by thecustomer to manage operation of customers resources or to determine themarketing success of the customer's web site. The IDSP platform receiveslogs from Web servers outside the firewall so that data can beintegrated into the usage monitoring and reporting. The customer also isable to create special, customized reports of database usage.

Process 1420 allows the platform owner to perform databaseadministration tasks well known to those in the art. These include loadbalancing and customer service modifications. Process 1430 allows theplatform owner to schedule and devote resources to database backup forall the databases on the IDSP system.

Process 1440 allows the platform owner to perform database upgradesobtained from the community server. The upgrades communicated from thecommunity server will be phased in by testing them first in the stagingarea. In the staging area, new versions are installed on appliances forcustomers to test the impact of the upgrades on their customapplications. The IDSP platform offers a form where each customer canindicate when the upgrade has been validated on their existing system.During this process, customers are able to submit issues to the serviceprovider so that the issues can be resolved. These issues are alsosubmitted through a Web form. Once all the customers have tested the newversion and updated their code, as required, the staging area will beupdated. Then the production area will be updated.

Process 1450 allows the database administrator or platform owner tomanage the various versions of software operating on the databasedevices and IDSP platform.

Processes 1460 and 1470 allow the database administrator to set upsecurity policies and enforce them with respect to the various databasesdistributed on the IDSP system and with respect to the individual dataitems in the databases.

In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described withreference to specific embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evidentthat various modifications and changes may be made thereto withoutdeparting from the broader spirit and scope of the invention. Thespecification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in anillustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

1. A method comprising: a first party managing a database system,wherein the database system comprises one or more database servers and aplurality of database devices; wherein the first party stores data inthe plurality of database devices on behalf of a plurality ofsubscribers, the plurality of subscribers having provided said data;receiving subscription information identifying a database resource forwhich a second party has indicated a willingness to pay; in response tothe subscription information: configuring a database device for thesecond party in the database system managed by the first party; andallocating the database resource at the database device; receiving, atthe database system, from a database application through which thesecond party provides services based on data stored on behalf of thesecond party at the database device, a database command to access thedatabase device; wherein the database command conforms to a databaselanguage supported by the database system; and in response to thedatabase command, the database system providing the database applicationwith access to the database device; wherein the steps of receiving thesubscription information, configuring the database device, allocatingthe database resources, receiving the database command, and providingaccess are performed by one or more computing devices operated by thefirst party.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the database device is adedicated hardware database device.
 3. The method of claim 1, whereinthe database device is a virtual database device.
 4. The method of claim1, wherein the database application is a database application hosted bythe first party on behalf of the second party.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein the database application is a database application hosted by thesecond party at one or more computing devices connected to the databasesystem via a network.
 6. The method of claim 1, where the step ofreceiving subscription information includes receiving, from the secondparty, information that specifies one or more of: a maximum amount ofstorage space for the database resource; a maximum amount of users forthe database resource; a maximum transaction rate for the databaseresource; a frequency of backup for the database resource; a frequencyand format of usage reports for the database resource; Internet accessparameters for mobile devices to be used by the second party; a paymentservice for the database resource; or information about development ofapplications for the database resource.
 7. The method of claim 1,further comprising the steps of: delivering over a network, to a userassociated with the second party, one or more messages which causegeneration of an interface for building a web application thatinterfaces with the database device; receiving user input describing theweb application via the interface; and deploying the web applicationbased on the user input.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:delivering over a network, to a user associated with the second party,one or more messages which cause generation of an interface forsubscribing to the database resource; wherein the subscriptioninformation is received via the interface for subscribing to thedatabase resource.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring thedatabase device and allocating the database resource are performedautomatically by the one or more computing devices belonging to thefirst party in response to receiving the subscription information,without human intervention.
 10. A method comprising: a first partymanaging one or more database systems; receiving, from a second party,information for subscribing to one or more database services supportedby the one or more database systems managed by the first party, whereinthe database services include services for storing and managing dataprovided by the second party; wherein the information is gathered duringa registration process in which the second party identifies one or moredatabase resources, provided by the first party in support of the one ormore database services, for which the second party is willing to pay; inresponse to receiving the information for subscribing to the one or moredatabase services, allocating the one or more database resources for useby the second party; providing, to one or more database applicationsoperated by the second party, access to the one or more databaseservices to which the second party is subscribed using the allocated oneor more database resources; wherein the steps of receiving, providing,and delivering are performed by one or more computing devices.
 11. Themethod of claim 10, wherein the one or more database applications arehosted by the first party on behalf of the second party.
 12. The methodof claim 10, wherein the one or more database applications are hosted bythe second party at one or more computing devices connected to the oneor more database systems via a network.
 13. The method of claim 10,where the step of receiving information for subscribing includesreceiving, from the second party, information that specifies one or moreof: a maximum amount of storage space for the one or more databaseresources; a maximum amount of users for the one or more databaseresources; a maximum transaction rate for the one or more databaseresources; a frequency of backup for the one or more database resources;a frequency and format of usage reports for the one or more databaseresources; Internet access parameters for mobile devices to be used bythe second party; a payment service for the one or more databaseresources; or information about development of applications for the oneor more database resources.
 14. The method of claim 10, furthercomprising the steps of: delivering over a network, to a user associatedwith the second party, one or more messages which cause generation of aninterface for building a web application that interfaces with thedatabase device; receiving user input describing the web application viathe interface; and deploying the web application based on the userinput.
 15. The method of claim 10, further comprising: delivering over anetwork, to a user associated with the second party, one or moremessages which cause generation of an interface for subscribing to theone or more database resources; wherein the information for subscribingis received via the interface for subscribing to the one or moredatabase resources.
 16. The method of claim 1, wherein allocating theone or more database resources is performed automatically by the one ormore computing devices belonging to the first party in response toreceiving the information for subscribing, without human intervention.17. One or more computer-readable storage media that, when executed byone or more computing devices, cause performance of: a first partymanaging a database system, wherein the database system comprises one ormore database servers and a plurality of database devices; wherein thefirst party stores data in the plurality of database devices on behalfof a plurality of subscribers, the plurality of subscribers havingprovided said data; receiving subscription information identifying adatabase resource for which a second party has indicated a willingnessto pay; in response to the subscription information: configuring adatabase device for the second party in the database system managed bythe first party; and allocating the database resource at the databasedevice; receiving, at the database system, from a database applicationthrough which the second party provides services based on data stored onbehalf of the second party at the database device, a database command toaccess the database device; wherein the database command conforms to adatabase language supported by the database system; and in response tothe database command, the database system providing the databaseapplication with access to the database device.
 18. One or morecomputer-readable storage media that, when executed by one or morecomputing devices, cause performance of: a first party managing one ormore database systems; receiving, from a second party, information forsubscribing to one or more database services supported by the one ormore database systems managed by the first party, wherein the databaseservices include services for storing and managing data provided by thesecond party; wherein the information is gathered during a registrationprocess in which the second party identifies one or more databaseresources, provided by the first party in support of the one or moredatabase services, for which the second party is willing to pay; inresponse to receiving the information for subscribing to the one or moredatabase services, allocating the one or more database resources for useby the second party; providing, to one or more database applicationsoperated by the second party, access to the one or more databaseservices to which the second party is subscribed using the allocated oneor more database resources; wherein the steps of receiving, providing,and delivering are performed by one or more computing devices.